Querns
A Quern mill consisted of a flat circular stone turned in a circular motion over another flat circular stone which crushed grain between its two flat surfaces. They can be dated back to the Prehistoric or Neolithic times but were basic and they can still be seen in use today in some areas of the world, specifically East Asia.
In the Stone Age, Rotary Querns appeared which were more circular in appearance. By about 1000BC various civilisations had developed quern mills.
As querns became refined, holes were made in the top stone to introduce the grain or to hold a handle that could be used to turn the stone easily. The Greeks made great advancements in milling techniques. They enhanced the sizes of the mills and used donkeys and horses to powers their mills.
Around the 1st Century BC, the Greeks started using water wheels which soon enabled larger stones to be used increasing the quality and quantity of flour production. The Romans quickly took up the new technique and exported it to Briton and across their empire.
