Metate

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The millstone, an utensil used in Mesoamerica by different cultures since pre-Hispanic times, is composed of two elements: the metate, a rectangular platform supported by three or four legs, and the metlapilli, a cylindrical piece used for grinding, which comes from the Nahuatl "mano de metate" or "hijo del metate". The metate has played a very important role in the economy because it was the main tool to obtain flours, sauces, and grindings of countless elements such as soil-based dyes until the invention of electric mills and blenders. There are infinite variations around the world, so it must be one of the oldest instruments used by humans.