neolithic grinding stone

there were clearly other attributes which attracted people to particular pieces of stone. the axe-shaped ochre-grinder illustrated here is a spectacular example of a neolithic stone tool. it was made from a water-worn cobble and bears some resemblance to a stone axe. it was however, a specific tool used for the grinding of ochre (hence the colour). the presence of quartz veins in the specimen hint at the makers understanding that this was never going to be an axe.