Columbia River Pestle

15th - 19th Century

7.125" L x 2.25" D

Hand Carved with a Well Defined Hand Hold Including Shaped Thumb Rest found 10 Miles Above Kettle Falls Oregon 

In Very Good Condition with Minor Wear to Working End

A Columbia River pestle is a type of ancient stone tool commonly associated with Native American (Indigenous) peoples of the Columbia River region in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in areas of present-day Oregon and Washington, such as near The Dalles, Wakemap Mound, and the broader Columbia Plateau and Basin.

These pestles were grinding tools used primarily for processing food—such as pounding and grinding nuts, seeds, roots (like camas or wapato), berries, dried salmon, or other plant materials—often in conjunction with stone mortars or flat grinding stones. They date from prehistoric times (pre-contact, before the 18th–19th centuries) and reflect long-standing traditions in the region's archaeology, with forms that remained relatively unchanged for millennia.