In which dynasty did the stone mill originate

The stone mill originated in the Neolithic period.

According to the Warring States period, "Shiben - Zuoshu" (世本-作篇), Gongbang (or Lu Ban) in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods invented the rotating stone mill, which made grain processing much easier.

In 1968, a stone mill about 2,100 years old was unearthed in a Han tomb in Mancheng, Hebei Province, the earliest stone mill ever found in China. This stone mill is composed of two heavy round stone disks, called "mill fan". Two pieces of grinding fan up and down, the central part of the grinding cavity; the upper fan is also cut to fill the grain of the aperture, the aperture is connected to the grinding cavity. In the two pieces of grinding fan on the surface, respectively, cut into uneven serrated, known as "grinding teeth". The center of the lower fan, the placement of an upward protruding iron shaft; the center of the upper fan, the center of the fan is chiseled in the lower fan fan shaft on the set of holes. When used, push the handle of the upper fan to make it rotate.

The upper fan of the stone mill in the rotary movement, because of its grinding teeth and the lower fan of the grinding teeth of the mutual bite as well as the wrong, and the formation of a very small elevation movement, so the upper and lower fan between the teeth of the gap appeared in a flash, so that the processing of the grain through the aperture of the upper fan into the grinding teeth constantly. Stone mill in use, the pestle and mortar up and down impact changed to tooth friction, the pestle and mortar intermittent work changed to continuous work. This greatly reduces labor intensity and improves productivity. The invention of the stone mill is a great progress of the ancient grain processing tools.

In the long-term production practice, China's ancient working people on the stone mill constantly improved. Jin Dynasty, the invention of the water mill, water instead of manpower; at the same time, the invention of the continuous mill, these inventions, at the time of the world are in a leading position.

In recent times, with the advent of the modern industrial revolution, machines gradually replaced manpower, electric grinding gradually replaced stone grinding. But in some areas and fields, until today the old traditional stone mill is still in use.