Mortar and Pestle

The Matsés Indians women, such as illustrated in the above photograph, use a hollowed-out log as a mortar for use with a rocking pestle. Typically it is used to grind corn mixed with ripe plantains to produce a thick beverage called "piabo." Although the Matsés are hunters, they also practice agriculture having a great variety of crops ranging from food staples like corn and plantains to fiber crops like cotton and various grasses.

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