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Journal of Northeast Texas Archeology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21112/.ita.2015.1.37
Abstract
In this article we report on an examination of six nutting stones from East Texas sites as well as an exploratory examination of their possible functions. “Nutting stones” have long been presumed to have been used prehistorically for crushing nuts such as hickory, etc. as foodstuffs. In fact Davis described them as being:
A small flat stone, usually made of limestone, sandstone or other sedimentary types of rock which could be carried by hand. The flat surface may have one or more ground or pecked cups of various sizes, shapes and depth. It is postulated that they were used for various purposes such as cracking nuts, mixing pigments, milling herbs and seeds, or as an anvil for flint knapping.
While Davis is an avocationalist and numerous professional archaeologists have dealt with nutting stones, we know of neither a more complete definition nor any other effort to empirically test for their function.
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