An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s19.t1.6

v1.c11.s19.t1.6

⁶ *19.3 Pestles*. Like mullers, these artefacts, also called pounders, are made on elongated blocks but differ from them in that it is the extremities and not the body that serve as the working portion. The ends show clear traces of battering, suggesting that they were used for pounding. They are also made of coarse-grained rock; a specimen from Harappa is made of alabaster. They occur in the pre-Harappa context at sites like Kot Diji and become common in Indus civilization. Again, they are found at many Iron Age Megalithic sites like MASKI, BRAHMAGIRI, JUNAPANI, and MAHURJHARI: the type survives into the historical period. Although stray examples are known from sites like PATPAD (Neolithic?) in Dt Kurnool this type appears to be rather uncommon at the Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites; hence it is possible that hammer-stones, which are found in good numbers, were employed for pounding and crushing. In size pestles measure about 20 cm in length and 4 to 5 cm in