Communal Mortars in the Province of Cordoba (Argentine Republic)

Abstract

Throughout the north-western provinces of the Argentine Republic, there may be seen in the outcrops of rock which occur with frequency in these mountainous regions, numbers of cylindrical or cup-shaped holes. These are generally considered to have been communal or village mortars. The heavy stone pestles employed are sometimes found in them, and the present inhabitants of the districts still use some of the mortars, replacing the ancient stone pestles with wooden ones.