reply to post by SLAYER69
Take a look at this one here for example. See where the lady is standing with the child? Notice the stone edge she is facing. Tell me how they
moved a stone that huge back and forth to "Rub" it into place.
Hiya Slayer, I'll stick my neck out here...people look at the whole wall and then individual blocks. I used to work on building sites for some years
before getting an education. I still do from time to time as stress relief from the job. I mention this to explain why I look at the construction in a
different way to most.
The cuts of the blocks are probably for at least two reasons. They were resistant to earthquakes, aesthetic reasons and I think that levering the
blocks into place was also aided by the cuts. Looking at the two bottom images on your post, it's clear that they were constructed from right to
left. It's especially obvious on the lower smaller image.
They'd start from the right with up to three courses and make the cuts ready to butt up to the existing blocks. The blocks would 'slot' into place
by using levers and possibly a dry gravel mix for them to bevel and move off. If we look at the sides where the angle cuts are...they are nearly all
on the side to butt up against blocks on their right. They could have used a timber scaffold (unlikely) or built an earth rampart/ ramp to gain
leverage from the front.
Once in place, the next block would be cut and placed in situ. Many of the blocks are only touching from a front perspective. Their vertical and
horizontal planes only appear to be flush. Behind the front view are blocks that don't touch and have been filled with back fill and dry mix.
Why not square blocks? Maybe someone else knows for certain...I don't. I can guess that it was a technique developed through adversity like quakes.
In the UK we have thousands of miles of dry stone walls. Some date back BC. In another thousand years (without maintenance), the dry stone walls will
be largely intact where square brick walls will have fallen...
Anyway, the cuts and direction of the wall construction seem likely to me, but I could be proven wrong in the next post...so be it