The World's Oldest Grinding Stone
The world’s oldest grinding stone dates to 68,700 years old and comes from Madjedbebe rock shelter on the Mirrarr Nation in northern Arnhem Land, Australia Aboriginal Land. 563 grinding stones were collected from at the Madjedbebe rock shelter and 104 grinding stones were analysed during the study. It is the oldest human example of a stone used to grind food.
The second-oldest grinding stone dates to 60,300 years old and comes from Nauwalabila on the Mirrarr Nation in Kakadu in the Northern Territory.
Grinding stones have been used at Cuddie Springs on the Ngiyampaa Nation for an estimated 30,000 years. Fragments of these grinding stones have been found in the sediment layer that dates between 30,000 and 19,000 years old.
Other tools were found alongside the grinding stones such as a wooden-handled tula adze and ochre fragments.
REFERENCES
https://australian.museum/learn/cultures/atsi-collection/cultural-objects/grindstones/
https://blog.qm.qld.gov.au/2020/05/19/grindstone-ancient-multi-tools/