The rock mortar and pestle that are on the floor in the center of the first room of the barn were often buried on the site where they were used when the tribe migrated from one area to another so they did not have to carry the heavy objects. These are often found in the lower foothills and the San Joaquin valley where there are no granite bedrock outcrops for grinding rocks. Upon returning to the site, they were dug up and put to use again. Those not dug up and reused, often were turned over when the ground was plowed by farmers in later years. Note the bowl with the hole in the bottom that was either worn through or, more likely, it was the custom to punch a hole in the bottom when the owner died.

Above in the Wooden shelved display case in the center of the first room you will find an arrow shaft straightener and examples of obsidian used for making Arrowhead/Projectiles. There is a local source of obsidian near Mammoth Mountain on the other side of the Sierra Nevada’s. But obsidian was traded among various tribes and can originate from many different sources in California.