AA 09 Grindingstones 13.06.08.Indd

Largegrindingstonedamagedbyagriculturalequipment

WhatareAboriginalGrindingStones?

GrindingstonesareslabsofstonethatAboriginalpeopleusedtogrindandcrushdifferentmaterials.Bulbs,berries,seeds,insectsandmanyotherthingsweregroundbetweenalargelowerstoneandasmallerupperstone.

WhereareTheyFound?GrindingstonesareusuallyfoundwhereAboriginalpeoplelivedand

camped.Forexample,theyhave

beenfoundinshellmiddensandrockshelters,andatopencampsitesandrockartsites.Theyarecommoninmuseumandprivatecollections.

HowDidAboriginalPeople UseGrindingStones?

Grindingstoneswereamongthelargeststoneimplements

ofAboriginalpeople.Theywereusedtocrush,grindorpounddifferentmaterials.

Amainfunctionofgrindingstoneswastoprocessmanytypesoffoodforcooking.Brackenfernroots,bulbs,tubersandberries,aswellasinsects,smallmammalsandreptiles,werecrushedandpulpedongrindingstonesbeforecooking.Sometypesoffoodarepoisonousintheirnaturalstate,andcouldonlybeeatenafterbeingcrushedandwashed.

MillingseedsonlargeflatgrindingstoneswascommoninthedrierareasofAustralia,butlesscommoninVictoria.Leavesandbarkwerecrushedongrindingstonesto makemedicines.

Aboriginalpeoplealsousedsmallgrindingstonestocrushsoftrocksandclays(suchasochre)tomakepigments.Thepigmentswereusedtodecoratebodiesforceremonies,topaintrockart,andtodecorateobjectssuchaspossumskincloaksandweapons.

Rockyoutcropsarerareinsomeregions,sotheAboriginalpeopleimportedslabsofsuitablestone. Butlargegrindingstoneswererarelymoved.Aboriginalpeoplecarriedaslittleaspossiblewhentheymovedcamp,andtheyoftenleftheavyitemssuchasgrindingstonesaspermanentcamp‘furniture’tobeusedonthenextvisit.

WhyareAboriginalGrindingStonesImportant?

GrindingstonesweredevelopedinsoutheastAustraliaduringthelastIceAge,about15,000yearsago.Conditionsweremuchdrierthen,andgrindingstonesallowedpeopletoliveinareaswherefoodwaslimited.

GrindingstoneshelpuslearnaboutthesizeofpastAboriginal

populationsindifferentregions,theirfoods,andtheirreactionstogreatchangesinclimate.Theoriginofsomestonesisknown,whichhelpsustracethemovementsofpeopleandtheirsocialconnectionswithotherregions.

GrindingstonesareanimportantlinkforAboriginalpeopletodaywiththeircultureandtheirpast.

AreAboriginalGrindingStonesunderThreat?

Naturalprocessessuchaswindandwatererosionmaydisturbgrindingstones,buthumaninterferenceposesthegreatestthreat.Ploughing,developmentandanyearthworksmaydisturbAboriginalplacesPloughinginparticularcanbreakorcutstones.

GrindingstonesareunmistakableAboriginalartefacts,andmanyhavebeencollectedassouvenirs.Flatstoneshaveevenbeenusedfor

drystonewalls,pathsandhousefoundations.Oncethestonesaremoved,importantinformationaboutthemislost.

The Office of AboriginalAffairsVictoriarecordsthelocation,dimensionsandconditionofAboriginalgrindingstones.Theaim istohaveapermanentwrittenandphotographicrecordofthisimportantpartoftheheritageofallAustralians.

AreAboriginalGrindingStonesProtected?

ThelawprotectsallAboriginalculturalplacesandartefactsinVictoria.ItisillegaltodisturbordestroyanAboriginalplace.Grindingstonesandotherartefactsshouldnotberemovedfromsite.

ItisalsoillegaltobuyorsellAboriginalartefactswithoutapermit.Informationaboutpermitsmaybeobtainedfromthe Office of Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.

WhatIfYouFindanAboriginalGrindingStone?

Donotdisturbitorremoveitfromthesite.CheckwhetherthestonehasthetypicalcharacteristicsofanAboriginalgrindingstone.Ifitdoes,recorditslocationandwriteabriefdescriptionofitscondition.Notewhetheritisunderthreatofdisturbance.

PleasehelptopreserveAboriginalculturalplacesbyreportingtheirpresencetothe Office of AboriginalAffairsVictoria.

Contact:

TheHeritageRegistrar

Office of AboriginalAffairsVictoriaPOBox2392

MelbourneVIC3001

Telephone:1800762003

June2008

CopyrightStateGovernmentofVictoria2008.AuthorisedbytheVictoriaGovernment,Melbourne

ISBN978-1-921331-60-2

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