GRINDING

QUERNS
Quern is the name given to grindstones. Grinding cereals was a leap forward in nutrition and efficiency. By breaking down the seed into crushed grain or flour, it made the food more digestible. This meant that a healthy diet could be maintained for far less labour


		The earliest type was the Saddle Quern, where the grain is placed on the large stone, and is crushed using a smaller stone held in the hand

A later development was the rotary quern, where both stones are circular with matching surfaces between them. The grain is poured into the hole in the centre of the top stone and as the top stone is rotated, the grain is crushed between the stones and the finished flour trickles out around the edges of the quern.