Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: Prior to the invention of the sawmill , boards were rived and planed , or more often sawn by two men with a whipsaw , using saddleblocks to hold the log , and a saw pit for the pitman who worked below .
Simplified: Before to the invention of the sawmill , boards were sawn by two men with a whipsaw , using saddleblocks to hold the log , and a pit for the pitman who worked below .