Old Cusinart

[meetmaker]

Old kitchen appliances don't have much glamor. Not as dramatic as a grooved and ground stone axe or as pretty as a piece of flint this old rock just speaks for the humdrum routine of daily life. The preparation of meat took a lot of pounding. If eaten fresh, pounding made it tender, enough for the young and toothless. Pounding also made it thin enough to dry quickly. Pounding was how it was mixed with crushed berries and fat for pemmican. Pounding was how dried meat was reconstituted with water. This is even the origin of certain off color slang statements. Sinew could also be processed by pounding to separate the fibers. Marrow was an important source of calories, not overlooked by prehistoric man. Spiral fractured bone shards are commonly found at hearth sites. The Mammoth Trumpet volume 23, number 1 has a good article about fractured bones. This stone at 20.5 pounds serves those purposes admirably. The first photo shows the flat top and two opposing "spurs" or "horns". the second is a reverse view. The next two are an attempt to show "micro-fracturing" on the "nose" of a spur. The lighter area at the point of the spur is similar to when a piece of plastic is bent. This micro-fracturing is consistent with repeated blows from a hard object that is softer than the stone. In the last, our lovely model, "Sleeps With Gassbag" demonstrates breaking the femur of a hapless birthday forgetting mega fauna. When held down by the foot and a spur dug into the ground, very little energy is lost. Venison femurs snap without effort. I suspect this was used for larger game.

[drdave514]

Holy FAQ....

[comanche]

I Agree DOC,,,Holy hell
Cut and paste ///EASY enough
Eloquence

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A frequently asked question here at "Arrowheadology"
"Is this something?"
I would like to state that everything is something.Just not everything is an artifact.To qualify as an Artifact it must show signs of being altered by Human hands,or has been used by humans in some Way shape or form.
There is the "Artefact",,,No that is not a typo,,,This is just a term used to describe Geofacts,Or "Pseudo Artifacts".Which can never be Officially Confirmed.
Keep these mysterious Artefacts tucked away until they can be Officially documented.Who knows ,,,you might have just discovered something,,,,But remember Everthing is something :
__________________

[meetmaker]

I see that I could have been clearer with the utility of this stone for pounding. In a tool set of hammer and anvil this would be the anvil. Adjacent to the spurs are flat areas, on the edges some sign of misplaced strokes can be seen. The top and bottom mirror each other so that it can be flipped and used on both sides. Additional thoughts can be found in Webster's under FORUM.

[drdave514]

I'm seeing a naturally occuring rhombohedral shaped stone that COULD be used in the manner you are speaking but I fail to see markings that would indicate such.

[Mud Hawk]

So here we have both examples of "Open Discussion" and "Judicial Body"...

Forum - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

fo·rum
noun \ˈfȯr-əm\
plural forums also fo·ra\-ə\
Definition of FORUM
1
a : the marketplace or public place of an ancient Roman city forming the center of judicial and public business b : a public meeting place for open discussion c : a medium (as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas
2
: a judicial body or assembly : court
3
a : a public meeting or lecture involving audience discussion b : a program (as on radio or television) involving discussion of a problem usually by several authorities

[comanche]

Like I said <<<It Is something,,,Meetmaker.A big old rock. I just don't see where this Rock shows ANY indications of being utilized by ancient man.The above description you gave could Apply to any big rock.Sorry///c
Closed discussion////