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Pitted stone

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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This is a stone called a "pitted" or "nutting" stone. It was used as a small nutcracker or seed grinder. The nuts or seeds would be placed in the small depression and then cracked or ground with a small round stone used as a hammer. This particular stone has pits on both sides. Other items such as minerals, pigments, plants and berries were ground in these small grinders for use in medicinal remedies, dyes, and pigments. Native people used these for many thousands of years from about 6,000 to 300 years ago.

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