saddle quern

A saddle quern is an ancient tool used for grinding grains and other materials. It is characterized by a non-rotatory, to-and-fro motion of a rounded stone (muller) on an elongated, stationary stone bed, which was often concave, giving it a saddle-like appearance. These tools date back to the early Neolithic period, around 10,000 to 3,000 BCE, and were used in ancient civilizations like Egypt and the Harappan civilization. Saddle querns were common in household use and are considered a primitive design, with similar tools like the metate and mano still used today in Mexico. They were typically made from durable stones such as sandstone, basalt, granite, schist, and limestone.12