Mortar or natural rock?

[T.Angel]

Found in NE Ohio (Chardon) on the "Big Creek"
Very large, too big to move
Been river walking for many years and never encountered one like this, being wide at the outermost edge and more pointed in the center
Natural or Not, what's your take?

[BabaORiley]

Being in a creekbed especially I would lean towards a natural creation. But what a natural work of art indeed...you wonder just what miracle of nature could create that? I would guess a very powerful swirl of water over ages...nice picTA.

[tomf]

Of course it could be natural, and the cone shape is a little different , but I'm inclined to see it as a human made divot. Depressions adjacent might be for hard seed grinding or even leeching pits. Pretty great example, if so.

[BabaORiley]

Tom it could very well be as you say...that creek may not have even been there thousands of years ago as the landscape is so different today compared to then.

[tomf]

Creek is central to processing as water is needed for leeching. Also acorn grinding is done in fall when water is at lowest. Situated mortars and cupules are associated with tale end of Archaic and later here in California. No big climate shift in that period, though extended droughts somewhere in the early part of that era are thought to have triggered the end of Archaic traditions.

[T.Angel]

Depressions adjacent might be for hard seed grinding or even leeching pits. Pretty great example, if so.

You know, I am just noticing the depressions around it... Pretty interesting. Thanks for the opinion.

[Cecilia]

Mother Nature does make incredible things.. and man does his best to take advantage!

[Hal Gorges]

Rock on !.

[south fork]

Between a rock and a hard spot the hole isn't quite right a little bit of a lip and weird angle ? The depressions throw me also but that's just me and I've see thousands here in California . And sometimes I'm wrong lol Just great to be out on the hunt .

[Missouri Breaks]

The Miwok and other groups from nor cal made entire processing areas with multiple mortars worked into permanent out cropping’s, some here have likely seen pictures or an actual site. The only sample I’ve seen in person is in an old time collection, where the smallest rock with a bowl in it was loose enough to get out and so it was hauled out via pick up. Probably not something today’s more conscientious finder would do, per any judgements. Point is, the work is unmistakable if you’ve seen other bowls and doesn’t resemble the smooth contours of water erosion. The above looks like continuous erosion with my main question being wether the depression is plumb or at an angle along with the rest of the formation.