handstone
Manual milling tool
A handstone is a stone shaped or selected to be held and used by hand, typically for grinding grain against a larger stationary stone called a quern.
The term appears in archaeological contexts describing ancient food-processing tools.
Archaeologists found handstones worn smooth from centuries of grinding maize.
Manual grain grinder
- metateStone grinding platform
- millstoneGrain-crushing circular stone
- mortarGrinding bowl or binder
- pestleBowl's crushing companion
grain · maize · flour · meal · grit · abrasion · polish · smooth
Igneous rock, quartz-rich
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- sandstoneCemented grain sediment
- quartziteMetamorphic silica-rich stone
- lavaErupted liquid stone
volcanic · cobble · porous · dense · coarse · fine-grained · durable · worn
Human-made historical object
- neolithicFinal Stone Age period
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- excavationAct of unearthing
- siteDesignated location
midden · stratigraphy · lithics · domestication · settlement · ceramics · sherds · carbon-dating
quern
Manual grain grinder
pestle · grain · maize · flour · meal · grit · abrasion · polish · smooth · crush
granite
Igneous rock, quartz-rich
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- sandstoneCemented grain sediment
- quartziteMetamorphic silica-rich stone
lava · volcanic · cobble · porous · dense · coarse · fine-grained · durable · worn · grooved
artifact
Human-made historical object
- neolithicFinal Stone Age period
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- excavationAct of unearthing
site · midden · stratigraphy · lithics · domestication · settlement · ceramics · sherds · carbon-dating · paleoanthropology
processing
Systematic operation on data
- preparationArranging things in advance
- seedEmbryonic plant capsule
- nutHard-shelled seed
herb · spice · medicine · cosmetic · dye · paint · food · subsistence · daily · domestic