Photos of ruins and structures from past eras

PugJesus OP , in Well-preserved House of Marcus Fronto in Pompeii, ~1st century AD
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infeeeee , in The Lion Gate at Mycenae, Greece

The architectural importance of this gate and the tomb of Clytemnestra nearby, is that they are not true arches but corbel arches. True arches were invented not much later, the oldest still standing true arch bridge is also built by Mycenaeans, the Arkadiko Bridge .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch#Bronze_Age:_ancient_Near_East

AlpacaChariot , in Cadaver stones of a husband and wife, Drogheda, Ireland, 16th century AD

A large cadaver tombstone slab can be found embedded in the wall at the north-east corner of St Peter's graveyard, together with the four sides of the tomb itself. The tombstone dates back to the 14th century and is part of a fashion widespread in Europe, although relatively rare in Ireland, which explored bodily decomposition and human mortality. This reflected a preoccupation with death arising from the great plague of 1347 to 1350, and subsequent epidemics. This particular slab dates from 1520 and was associated with Sir Edmond Golding and his wife Elizabeth Flemying, the daughter of the Baron of Slane.

http://www.irishhistorian.com/Drogheda/StPetersChurchOfIreland.html

sin_free_for_00_days , in Old Sarum, a long-occupied fort in England

Old Sarum, in Wiltshire, South West England, is the ruined and deserted site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury. Situated on a hill about two miles (three kilometres) north of modern Salisbury near the A345 road, the settlement appears in some of the earliest records in the country. It is an English Heritage property and is open to the public. - Wikipedia

That place looks well taken after.

kindenough , in Neolithic house in the Orkney Islands, Scotland
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Some more reading for anyone interested:

Skara Brae

Diplomjodler3 , in Centuries-old Yew tree in the ruins of Muckross Abbey, Ireland

There's bound to be some good loot there. So where's the boss guarding it?

ChicoSuave , in Tightly fitted ancient Inca architecture

Also worth pointing out that Incan masonry didn't use mortar to join the bricks - they were cut so precise they didn't need it.

Zachariah , in Tightly fitted ancient Inca architecture
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TropicalDingdong , in Tightly fitted ancient Inca architecture

I just wonder how it was cut. Like it must have been some kind of aggregate like sand and then some kind of hard(er) aggregate like sand?

I could imagine doing this with string. But the bevels?

PugJesus OP ,
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Wiki suggests some chemical processes may have been involved

Additional surface smoothing near the edges of blocks has been attributed by some researchers to a chemical etching "mortar" composed of pyrite mining slurry and plants containing calcium oxalate.[31] Some species of bacteria from the genus Thiobacillus are able to process sulfidic minerals and produce sulfuric acid as a byproduct; complexation with oxalate increases the etching potential of the mixture. This would correspond with both contemporary descriptions of the Incan masonry process[31] and regional folklore suggesting that Incan masons and a local bird species, the pito, were capable of softening rocks with a local herb.[30]

Windex007 ,

One of my archaeology professors who focused on the Inca Empire bought into theories around using a kind of portable jig that allowed them to match surfaces similar in principle to how key cutters match the contours of a source key.

This was over a decade ago already so not sure where those theories line up.

That being said, the empire had INCREDIBLE engineering skill, and with a system of labour tax, I figure the proliferation of those skills would be great, and with such a broad base of the population exposed to engineering tasks I imagine there were many opportunities for diverse minds to contribute to process improvements

TropicalDingdong ,

My sense is there would need to be some kind of mechanical assist to get things this both square, and flat. Two big flat rocks with an jig holding them and then you move the stones in a circular manner (like a oscillating sander but you move the piece not the aggregate).

Like just making a very flat surface is a surprising engineering feat, but I could imagine

Windex007 ,

I guess OPS picture really betrays how complex of stonework they could really put out. In OP's pic, they're uniform and square: not at all required to get the perfect fits that Inca masons are truely legendary for.

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/82570784-74d1-41e3-809b-6015603ac5d2.webp

TropicalDingdong ,

I mean, can you just imagine the sense of accomplishment you would get even doing one of these joins?

Sanctus , in Tightly fitted ancient Inca architecture
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Just impeccable. Could you imagine cutting this back then? Let alone fitting it so perfectly? A technique or a few have definitely been lost.

PugJesus OP ,
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I imagine there was a LOT of tedious sanding involved!

TropicalDingdong ,

Even cutting one of these would be so satisfying.

Flummoxed OP , in Hagar Qim, c. 3500 BCE

Replica of an altar stone at the site. Note the designs that continue throughout the complex and other temples in Malta.

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/7be1a911-a2dc-4bc4-9b33-6b34b047cdfd.jpeg

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/bcd9ec5c-1729-4290-8551-b691564a585b.jpeg

Flummoxed OP , in Hagar Qim, c. 3500 BCE

The supposed "Holy of Holies" at Hagar Qim, where it is believed priests would carry out animal sacrifices.

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/de3675e0-bcec-493e-86b4-8bc1ac8e3e7e.jpeg

PugJesus ,
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That's cool as hell.

I can hear the voices of the ancestors calling out for blood...

Flummoxed OP ,

Right?? They are very, very thirsty...

Glad you enjoy, as I very much enjoy all your posts.

Flummoxed OP , in Hagar Qim, c. 3500 BCE

Overview of the complex, in English and Maltese.

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/e6b49021-656e-454c-bea1-20a14b328a46.jpeg

Flummoxed , in Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt
PugJesus OP ,
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Wild! Count me jealous!

Flummoxed ,

Egypt was crazy... Same trip as Malta. I'll try to post more; I forgot how good some of my pictures are. Just incredible history.

ChicoSuave , in Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt

This needs to be a wonder in Civilization.

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