Granite millstone

This old millstone is made of two parts. The runner stone sits on top of the bed stone. It has a hole in the top for the rice, wheat or other grain to be poured through. There is a hole in the side through which a stick can be thrust to give leverage to turn the stone. The bed stone has patterns carved into it. These patterns are very specific in design. Deep furrows lead to flat areas called lands. There are also smaller grooves (feathers or cracks) radiating away from the furrows. the furrows and smaller grooves provide cutting edges and also help direct the flour outwards. The flour is pushed into a channel around the bed stone from which it travels through a spout into a storage container.

Millstones have been used since neolithic times, and the designs across Europe, Asia and the Americas have been unchanged for many hundreds of years.

To learn more, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millstone.