030 Α - Hand mill

HAND MILLS were used for grinding wheat, in order to transform it into flour that was used to cover the daily needs of the household. It was a simple structure that consisted of two round stones with flat surfaces, which were placed on top of each other. The upper stone had a hole in its center and a wooden handle on its side, allowing for its rotation. Women who used hand mills dropped the grain with one hand in the hole and with the other they rotated the stone that grinded the grain and made flour out of it. Stone hand mills were used for grinding small amounts of wheat, in order to make bulgur, or coarse salt and generally, a small amount of any seed. Hand mills were usually placed at a fixed point, known as “mylostasi”, which made its handling easier.

Donor: Panagiotis Loukakos