How did Aboriginal people use grinding stones?
Grinding stones were among the largest stone implements of Aboriginal people. They were used to crush, grind or pound different materials. A main function of grinding stones was to process many types of food for cooking. Bracken fern roots, bulbs, tubers and berries, as well as insects, small mammals and reptiles, were crushed and pulped on grinding stones before cooking. Some types of food are poisonous in their natural state,and could only be eaten after being crushed and washed. Milling seeds on large flat grinding stones was common in the drier areas of Australia, but less common in Victoria. Leaves and bark were crushed on grinding stones to make medicines. Aboriginal people also used small grinding stones to crush soft rocks and clays (such as ochre) to make pigments. The pigments were used to decorate bodies for ceremonies, to paint rock art, and to decorate objects such as possum skin cloaks and weapons. Rocky outcrops are rare in some regions, so the Aboriginal people imported
