HOLED STONE, BALLONA CREEK, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Diameter:  3 ½”

Thick:  2”

Weight:  1 lb 16.5 oz

This intriguing  stone with a hole, came from an area known to be a major Native American site in ancient times.

 (Stones such as this one are also known as “donut stone” for the superficial resemblance to that particular modern treat.)

For thousands of years the native Tongva people lived along the Ballona Creek Watershed, using the natural creek for fishing, transportation and reed building materials.

For decades, white people from the Los Angeles area, just like the ancient ones fished along the creek.  Upon doing so they occasionally uncovered small pits filled with an astonishing array of stone relics and such.

Small bundles of severely decomposed leather pouches were filled with holed stones (donut stones), small quartz crystals, small tube pipes and other materials.  Researchers have speculated that these bundles were shaman “tool kits—arrangements of materials useful for shaman healing/forecasting situations.

Over the years many holed stones have cropped up suggesting the items may have been useful in various shaman spiritual/ceremonial activities.

The listed holed stone is such a relic.

While the purpose of these so-called “donut stones” changes throughout the years (from digging weights attached to sticks, to stones paraded around during ceremonies) finding them associated with shaman bundles, suggests a more spiritual purpose.

The listed stone has multiple dings, cuts, evidence of much sand abrasion.  Whatever the true ancient purpose of this stone, it clearly was used over and over again.

Sand abrasion, chinks, dings, minor cuts