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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