Columbia River Stone Pestle

Early Man

5.375" H x 3.25" D

Hand Carved from Stone of a Pestle from the Columbia River

In Very Good Condition 

A Columbia River stone pestle is a prehistoric artifact commonly associated with Native American peoples of the Columbia Plateau and Columbia River region (including areas in present-day Oregon, Washington, and surrounding parts of the Pacific Northwest).

These were grinding tools used primarily for food preparation. Indigenous groups along the Columbia River relied heavily on the river's abundant salmon runs, as well as roots (like camas), berries, nuts, seeds, dried fish, and meat. A pestle—typically a handheld stone tool—would be used with a mortar (stone or wooden bowl) to pound, crush, or grind these materials into flour, pemmican, or preserved foods. Some larger or specialized examples may have doubled as mauls for hammering.