Milling wheat was the need of genuine use of grain for food, since the creation of the first agricultural communities. In the Neolithic period wheat was milled by hand with the help of two stones, rock bottom was dented and the upper plate round stone. With Greek colonization of the northern coast of the Mediterranean and their influence on the then barbaric civilization of Europe, comes to taking many technological methods, among other things, to the adoption of classic grindstone with two round stone with a handle for manual grinding grain. With this simple, handy way of grinding wheat for personal household use, old civilizations developed grind of greater quantities of grain by means of power for humans or animals, but using both wind and above all the power of water. Water mill is a mill that moves with the power of water. Water mills that were located on rivers were called gloves and the ones that were on the streams were called mills. Water mill doing so the water hits the round wooden Tongue (spoons), and it was then initiated. The wooden wheel spindle turning over the upper millstone in the water mill. Wheat is placed in a basket made of boards. On the stone is “ceketalo” that jumps on the rock cod and ladle on the basket, out of which comes the grain that stone, turning, mill. Flour falls into the crate or “mucnjak”.
Northwestern part of the Republic of Srpska, which is extremely rich in timber and also the various streams was suitable for construction of a wooden water mill. Apart from the lumber mill, built the house and auxiliary facilities, houses of worship, etc.. These wooden objects were called chalets, because the basic material for their construction was plank, tree trunk, the bark peeled and cut branches. Watercourses in the northwestern part of the Republic of Srpska, rich in water, have a sharp downturn from the source to the mouth were suitable for the construction of the water drive, which are in different mechanical forms used for certain actions instead of human power or strength of animals. These water mills are an integral part of the landscape and rural architecture. They are located next to streams, small rivers, almost always surrounded by very beautiful and lush nature. The mills are used to grind corn and received flour for bread, which was the main product and food for the people. Water mills are divided into larger owned water mills that serve a larger community and grinder for own use individual household. In owner mills, grain is milled for several families and each had their turn, and the time for grinding and if they were grinding for others they use to take the so-called ''usur''.
Author: MA Bozidar Dosenovic
Publisher: Poste Srpske a.d. Banjaluka
Cooperation: Museum of Republic of Srpska, museum adviser – ethnologist Vladimir Djukanovic
