Meanwhile grinding equipment progressed
from the mortar and pestle to two flat stones
and then, around 800 BCE in Mesopotamia, to
stones that could rotate continuously.
Continuous milling made feasible the
eventual use of animal, water, and wind
power, and thus the grinding of grains into
very fine flours with little human labor.
Greece and Rome
Leavened loaves of bread arrived fairly late
along the northern rim of the Mediterranean.
Bread wheat was not grown in Greece until
about 400 BCE, and flat barley breads were
probably the norm well after. We do know
that the Greeks enjoyed breads and cakes
flavored with honey, anise, sesame, and fruits,
and that they made both whole-grain and
partly refined breads. At least from the Greeks
on, whiteness in bread was a mark of purity
and distinction. Archestratus, a contemporary