Making Grooved Stone Net Sinkers — Weighted Stones for Fishing Nets

Stone net sinkers are among the most common artefacts at prehistoric fishing sites — simple flat or oval stones with a groove pecked around the circumference so a cord can be tied securely without slipping. Attached to the bottom edge of a fishing net, they pull the net down through the water column while floats hold the top edge at the surface, creating a vertical wall that intercepts fish. Sinkers are also tied to individual fishing lines to keep bait at depth. The groove is the key innovation: without it, the cord slides off a smooth stone and the sinker is lost. The groove only needs to be deep enough to seat the cord — 2-3mm — and is created by patient pecking with a pointed hammerstone along the stone's equator.