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Your item is a Pre-Columbian Stone Metate, a traditional grinding stone used by indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica for processing corn and seeds. This particular piece, acquired in Costa Rica in 1969, exhibits a distinctive tripod design with elevated handles and a serrated grinding surface, a form commonly associated with ceremonial metates found in Central American and South American archaeological contexts.

Metates like this were an integral part of daily life and held ritual significance in Pre-Columbian societies. Some elaborately carved metates were associated with funerary and ceremonial uses, often buried alongside individuals of high status. The presence of raised supports and decorative serrations suggests it may have had a dual function, both practical and symbolic. The stone material appears to be volcanic basalt, a common choice due to its durability and coarse texture, ideal for grinding.