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| Prehistoric peoples must have hauled this heavy cobble many miles to bring it to the shelter. More than 12 inches (30 cm) in length, the stone is basalt, or poryphry, a fine-grained volcanic material that does not occur locally but is found naturally in the Central Mineral region to the northeast. Highly polished, the stone is scratched and pitted on one face, as if it had been used in grinding. There are also small patches of red ocher stain, indicating it may have been used to pulverize pigment. Quite likely, this unusual artifact was used in many different ways. Photo by Aaron Norment. |