An Ambum stone is a zoomorphic sculpture distinctive of
Oceanic prehistoric culture, and in particular of the island of
New Guinea. The sculpture represents a bird, with few details
such as eyes and ears rudimentarily represented in light relief,
and the mouth consisting in a single curved groove.
The use of these stones remains mysterious, as their ritual
implications. It is nevertheless more than possible to suggest
that at least some ambum stones (including the present ones)
were used as pestels. It is in general possible to identify three
basic categories: mortars, pestles, and freestanding figures.
The tops of many pestles are adorned with images of human
heads, birds, or bird’s heads, as in the case of the present
artefact.
Dating these artefacts remains highly problematic, though
organic material trapped within a crack in one example has
recently been dated to 1500 B.C., firm dating and chronology
for the figures are otherwise lacking.
