The animal devoted to this labour was blind-folded xviii.6) in which human labour was supplied by the use of an ass or some other animal The cattle-mill, mola asinaria ( Cato, deР’В ReР’В Rust.Р’В 10 Thus in the palace of Ulysses there were twelve, each turned by a separate female, who was obliged to grind every day the fixed quantity of corn before she was permitted to cease from her labour ( Od. In every large establishment the hand-mills were numerous in proportion to the extent of the family. Their pistrinum was consequently proverbial as a place of painful and degrading labour and this toil was imposed principally on women (Hom. The hand-mills were worked among the Greeks and Romans by slaves. In which the mills were probably turned by donkeys. The corn with which it was filled, gradually fell through the neck of the upper stone upon the summit of the lower, and, as it proceeded down the cone, was ground into flour by the friction of the two rough surfaces, and fell on all sides of the base of the cone into a channel formed for its reception. The uppermost of the two hollow cones served the purpose of a hopper. The upper stone was surrounded at its narrowest part with a strong band of iron and two bars of wood were inserted into square holes, one of which appears in this figure, and were used to turn the upper stone. The upper millstone, seen in its place on the right hand of the woodcut, approaches the form of an hour-glass, consisting of two hollow cones, jointed together at the apex, and provided at this point with a socket, by which the upper stone was suspended upon the iron pivot, at the same time touching on all sides the lower stone, and with which it was intended to revolve. The most essential part of it is the cone, which is surmounted by a projection containing originally a strong iron pivot. In the left-hand figure the lower millstone only is shown. The annexed woodcut shows two which were found standing in the ruins of a bakehouse. In a very improved state it has been discovered at Pompeii. There can be no doubt that this is the flour-mill in its most ancient form. The description of this machine exactly agrees with that of the Scottish quern, formerly an indispensable part of domestic furniture (Pennant, Tour in Scotland, 1769, p231 andР’В 1772, p328). By the process of grinding the corn makes its way from the centre, and is poured out in the state of flour at the rim (Tournefort, Voyage, Lett.Р’В 9). IV.58) inserted at one side, and has a hole in the middle into which the cornРІР‚вЂ№ b The upper stone is turned by a handle ( РћС”РџР‹РџР‚РћВ·, Schol. The islanders of the Archipelago use in the present day a mill, which consists of two flat round stones The hand-mill, or quern, called mola manuaria, versatilis, or trusatilisРІР‚вЂ№ a ( Plin. The mills mentioned by ancient authors are the following:. Hence a mill is sometimes called molae in the plural. xxiv.6), and the lower, which was fixed and by much the larger of the two. This species of stone is admirably adapted for the purpose, because it is both hard and cavernous, so that, as it gradually wears away, it still presents an infinity of cutting surfaces.Р”В®very mill consisted of two essential parts, the upper mill-stone, which was moveable ( catillus, Р±Р…вЂћРћР…РћС—РџвЂљ, РџвЂћР±Р…С‘ Р±СС’РџР‚Рћв„–РћСРџРЊРћВ»Рћв„–РћС—РћР…,Р”Вeut. VI.318), such as that which is now obtained for the same purpose at Mayen and other parts of the Eifel in Rhenish Prussia.

All mills were anciently made of stone, the kind used being a volcanic trachyte or porous lava ( pyrites, Woodcuts are from Smith's Dictionary any color photos are mine Р’В©Р’В WilliamР’В P.Р’В Thayer Please call for more information.AР’В Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875. They are more expensive and adaptability to your project may be difficult due to limited variety and size.

We usually have several historic millstones available. These bring a sense of history right to your entryway. Allow 5 to 6 weeks for deliveryР”РЋ/2 millstone, 7' thick, from 3 to 8 feet in length. Allow 10 days for deliveryР”Р„vailable by special order only. Perfect for fountains and other landscape uses. We also have a collection of historic millstones and would be happy to discuss their appropriateness or adaptability for your application. The result is a millstone that fits the site requirements, looks historic, and adds charm to the landscape, whether used in a patio or walkway, as tables, fountains, doorsteps or focal points.

Since the majority of the millstones we sell are used in the landscape industry, and since most customers want a millstone that looks old, we have developed a method for antiquing our stones. We are the last producers of authentic, hand-carved granite millstones in the USA.

Quern millstone