KM 25877/ Mortar
KM 25852/ Pestle
2nd-5th century AD
Karanis, Egypt
Considered the predecessor to grinding mills, mortars and pestles were used mainly for crushing, grinding and mixing a wide variety of foods, including grains, olives, grapes, beans and spices. Even after the introduction of larger and more 'efficient' grinding mills, the portability and versatility of the simple mortar and pestle system kept such equipment in use. Notice that these are not particularly large, and were probably intended only to grind sufficient flour for one family for one day.