History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c26.s3.t4.2

v1.c26.s3.t4.2

The *Ṛgveda* has two devices for crushing *soma*, the grinding stones or *grāvan*, and the mortar-and-pestle, *ulūkhala-musala*. When the *soma* sacrifice enlarged to include 16 priests, the crushing mortar may have grown in size as well. Large wooden grain pounders were of course also known. From such reduction devices could the oil press have had its origin, to judge by the terms employed for it, as hereafter discussed.