Groundstone Tools vs Natural Stones

Have you ever found an interesting rock and wondered whether it was natural, or something people shaped in the past? Here Dr. Connie Arzigian talks about some ways to tell the difference. Check the timestamps below to find information on different types of artifacts and similar-looking natural rocks, and what archaeologists look for to determine whether a stone is natural or worked. Dr. Connie Arzigian is an MVAC Senior Research Associate and Senior Lecturer, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology Here’s what the video covers, and some links for further information: Timecodes 00:00 00:06 - Introduction 01:10 - Axes and Celts 04:53 - Stones with Grooves 08:35 - Shaped and Pecked Stone: Manos, Hammerstones 11:49 - Shaped and Pecked Stone: Manos and Metates 12:48 - Deliberately Etched Stones, Abraders, and Natural Stone 15:16 - Natural Iron Concretion Used as a Paint Pot (for further information on natural iron concretions: