Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="DanMcS" data-source="post: 5275887" data-attributes="member: 6530">When I think of medieval masonry, I always think first of the <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=david+macaulay" target="_blank">David Macaulay</a> books I read as a kid, Castle, Cathedral, and so on. Great illustrations of medieval tools and machines, like a crane that was essentially a human-powered hamster wheel to lift heavy stone. Check your library, they should have them (or be ashamed!).Check out this <a href="http://www.guedelon.fr/" target="_blank">castle currently being built in France</a>, it helps give an idea of many tools, techniques, and materials. There are some shots on there of their quarry.Your quarry might have a smithy and other crafting on site, depending on the distance to town.The easiest way to move heavy stuff long distances would probably be by boat, because the roads probably aren't great. They'd cart or sledge stuff down to the river (by oxen?), and then float it the vast majority of the distance. Even if the river route is longer as the crow files, it's still faster and easier, because granite doesn't fly. If the quarry has been around a while, they might have dug a canal close to it to make shipping even easier.The <a href="http://www.cheops-pyramide.ch/khufu-pyramid/stone-quarries.html#assuan" target="_blank">Egyptians</a> moved stone for the pyramids down the Nile, even farther than the 300 miles you require, so it's possible. Oh, there's some good stuff on there about <a href="http://www.cheops-pyramide.ch/khufu-pyramid/stone-cutting.html" target="_blank">stone cutting technique</a>.</blockquote>

Verification