A row of 3 metates hold rainwater from a recent desert storm. The ancient depressions were made by women grinding grain by hand.
Three metates in a row hold rainwater from a recent desert storm. The depressions were formed by Hohokam women using a stone to grind corn, tepary beans, acorns or mesquite beans. A close look at the stone on each side of the depressions reveals two shallower depressions worn by the knees of the women as they knelt over their work. The Hohokam occupied these foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains and the rest of Tucson from 300 to 1500. There are many hundreds of metates in Catalina State Park ranging in depth from a shallow inch or two to deeper than the length of the human arm. A pounding pole of hardwood was probably used to grind grain in the deeper holes. Metate or Grinding Slab Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona 1 January Hohokam artifact
Size: 5300px × 3532px
Photo credit: © Rick & Nora Bowers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: acorn, acorns, ancient, artifact, bean, grain, grinding, hand, history, hohokam, human, maize, mesoamerican, mesquite, metate, metates, mill, milling, mortar, slab
