Stone and Groundstone


Early in my archaeological career (and for much longer than I care to admit) I always assumed that groundstone referred to stone objects found on the ground. In fact, the term refers to stones that have been ground, either through production or use. Many of the stone implements illustrated here straddle the line of natural stone and groundstone. Their shapes are formed by natural processes and their uses, if any, have left little evidence.


Pebble tools from the collection of The Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow.

Natural quartzite stone found in a Bronze Age cist burial in Argyll and Bute. The stone was found under the head of an interred individual. Possibly a pillow stone, the exact purpose of this stone is unknown.