Neolithic Bone Pestle

This artifact originates from a Neolithic lake-dweller settlement in Switzerland. Since the late 19th century, it has been part of the collection of Princeton's Department of Geosciences, and it is now in the process of being returned to its home country. The tool shown here is made from an unidentified animal's bone, and would have been used for grinding grain raised in the early agricultural society.

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Credit: Caroline McCarthy, Princeton University's Art of Science Competition