Grinding Stone
Artist/Maker
Maya (archaeological culture)
(Mesoamerica)
Dateca. 600-900
Mediumbasalt
DimensionsOverall: 7 1/2 x 14 1/8 x 20 1/4 in. (19.1 x 35.9 x 51.4 cm)
ClassificationsTools and Equipment
Credit LineGift of Sylvia Coppersmith in memory of Dora Coppersmith
Terms
Object number86.0083
DescriptionOrnate grinding stones were made throughout ancient Mesoamerica and are still used today for ceremonial purposes, although the mechanized molino has replaced these tools for daily use. A high ranking person might have had multiple metates in their household in ancient times, each with a different decoration. This example has the head of a feathered serpent, important throughout ancient Mesoamerica, as a decorative element.On View
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