Date: 1965-04
Location: Solukhumbu
Description: Grain mill in Solukhumbu near a Sherpa village. This was beside a stream where it was water powered by a simple, wooden turbine. The grain (rice or barley) would be dumped into the bin, and released as the wooden trigger bumped up and down in accord with the turning stone. Like old European stones, the grain would then fall into the central hole and be ground as it was rolled outwards toward the periphery. Rigs like this were quite rare in the lower hills, but frequent in Sherpa country. Perhaps where rice grew easily and was preferred boiled, there was no need to grind it, whereas wheat and barley, which grew readily in the north, really needed grinding. Sherpas made a number of different foods from the flour.
