Ground stone

An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. Neolithic stone implements are by definition ground stone and, except for specialty items, not chipped.
A Neolithic ground stone.
Traditional grinding stone used for making chutney, dosa batter and idli batter, in India today.

In archaeology, ground stone is a category of stone tool formed by the grinding of a coarse-grained tool stone, either purposely or incidentally. Ground stone tools are usually made of basalt, rhyolite, granite, or other cryptocrystalline and igneous stones whose coarse structure makes them ideal for grinding other materials, including plants and other stones.

Organic and inorganic materials are processed on ground stones into edible products.[1] They are sometimes the only artefacts preserved on archaeological sites and are found worldwide.

  1. ^ Dubreuil, L. and Savage, D. (2014). Ground stones: a synthesis of the use-wear approach. Journal of archaeological science, 48, pp.139–153. [Accessed 3 March 2022].