Other stones, usually oblong and rounded pebbles gathered in a river bed, are used for pounding and cracking purposes. At any camping ground these pebbles can be picked up in great numbers, showing one or two places, usually the points, at which the percussions have worn the stone away; pounding stones and hammers of this description are equally plentiful in the sandhills on the plains of Adelaide, all over central Australia, and along the north coast. They are used for pounding seeds and foliage (the latter of which is to serve for corrobboree decorations), for pulverizing ochre, for cracking nuts and hollow bones containing marrow. Vide [Plate LIV], 1.
The underlying surface consists either of a level portion of an outcrop or another, but larger, stone, which takes the place of an anvil. Some of the coastal tribes of eastern Australia used to shape their heavier pounding stones by chipping away material at one side until a stout, cylindrical handle was formed, the whole resembling a pestle; dumb-bell shaped pounders were also made, but were rare.
We have already learnt that natural pebbles or rock fragments are also used, together with a wooden rod, for knocking out teeth during initiation ceremonies.
PLATE XLVII
1. Cave drawings (kangaroo, etc.), Forrest River, north-western Australia.
2. Cave-drawing of kangaroo, Forrest River, north-western Australia.
When cooking game, many tribes, both in central and northern Australia, select a number of large, irregular slabs, which they place into a shallow hole they burn a fire in. After the oven stones have been thoroughly heated, the fire is removed and the meat cooked on the hot stones. The Worora at times cut the carcase open and place a number of heated pebbles inside.
River-worn pebbles, measuring four or five inches in diameter, are also extensively used by all central tribes, such as the Dieri, Aluridja, Wongkanguru, Ngameni, Arunndta, Wongapitcha, and Kukata, in conjunction with a large flat slab, as a hand-mill. The slabs or nether stones, which are generally known as “nardoo stones,” are longish-oval in shape, and up to two feet in length.
The Wongapitcha use slabs of no particular shape, which they call “tchewa.” The upper surface is flat or concavely worn through constant use. It is the gin’s lot to work the mill. She kneels in front of the slab, with its longer axis pointing towards her, and places some of the seed she wants to grind upon it; then she starts working the pebble forwards and backwards with her hands, rocking it gently in the same direction as she does so. When ground to a sufficient degree of fineness, the flour is scraped by hand into a bark food-carrier, and more seed placed upon the slab. On account of the rocking motion, the hand-piece, which the Wongapitcha call “miri,” eventually acquires a bevelled or convex grinding surface. Fine-grained sandstones or quartzites are most commonly found in use, but occasionally diorites and other igneous rocks might be favoured. The women usually carry the hand-stone around with them when on the march, but the basal slabs are kept at the regular camping places.