When mortars speak volumes

Abstract

Among the various categories of ground stone technology in pre-colonial California, the mortar has a celebrated role in the shift to a subsistence economy dominated by acorn processing and consumption. The size and shape of mortars, both bedrock and portable, facilitated pulverising and grinding of these and other resources. It seems logical, therefore, to assume that larger mortar cavities, within certain limits, would be more productive than smaller ones. The experiment presented here was designed and conducted to test this hypothesis; it aims to determine whether increasing the depth and width of a mortar cavity improves acorn flour production. The potential application of these data to a technological investment model are discussed, emphasising future research goals and comparison with similar studies.