MORTAR & PESTLE: NORTH OF LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA, 19TH CENTURY DISCOVERY
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:5574 | Color: Tan |
| Material: Stone | Maker: Indigenous people of Southern California |
| Original/Reproduction: Original |
MORTAR & PESTLE: NORTH OF LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA, 19TH CENTURY DISCOVERYMortarDiameter: 8 ½”Height: 6”Bowl Depth: 3”Weight: 16 lbs 12.8 ozPestleLength: 6”Diameter: 2 ¼” Weight: 1 lb 10 ozA nicely scooped mortar carved from ablock of tan stone uncovered on private land just north of La Jolla, Californiain the 1880s. One of several found in the 19th century near there.This is a heavy, grinding bowl. An excellent... bowl depression, indicative ofyears of pulverizing/grinding.Ancient rim ding/chip.The associated pestle is a thick, hardstone with clear evidence of surface grinding along one end. Grooves, dings and ancient nicks along rim;abrasion-scrape marks along bottom.The location of the find is extremely interesting. About a mile off the La Jolla Beach Clubproperty, at the bottom of the sandy bottom are dozens of stonebowls/mortars. While protected byCalifornia archeological laws, one can hover above while diving to see theseimpressive bowls.All indication is that they were carvedon Catalina Island—some 20 miles west—and were in the process of beingtransported to land. Something happenedand the load apparently dumped into the sea.Catalina was a hotbed of stone bowlcarving. Along the southern shore areancient quarries with just the right type of stone to carve. These artifacts have been found up/down thewestern California shore and several miles inland.This is a fine, definitely utilizedmortar & pestle from California’s prehistory.
