Hi Ori

Origyptian wrote:


>
> I don't understand why you and others here are harping on
> whether the Romans were "capable" of that. I've never commented
> on "capability" at all.
> For that matter, the egyptians were "capable" of using diamonds to drill granite, but they didn't.

How do you know? What is your evidence?

> They were "capable" of building wheeled vehicles and pulleys
> but they didn't.
How do you know? What is your evidence?

They were "capable" of flying in kites, but
> they didn't.
How do you know? What is your evidence?

When we look at the ancient artifacts, it's not
> important how it COULD have been done; what's important is how
> it WAS done. And right now, the evidence I see in those
> "quarries" indicates repurposing, not original construction.

What "evidence"? Do you mean your conjecture and considered opinion?
>
> In truth, I don't understand how a civilization the size of the
> Roman Empire could "forget" how to quarry granite such that it
> wasn't until the 1800s A.D. that Europe finally rediscovered
> the technology. I realize there were wars, some conquering,
> disease and pestilence, but the entire technology was lost
> until the 1800s?

I suggest :
The Roman empire collapsed. In 325AD a totally new religion was decreed, was made LAW
punishable by death, no more heathen temples.

Yes you mention the war

Then the happy chappys in the church directed things.

Progressively engineering and building technology improved
buttresses, more advanced arches... etc . Therefore the need for massive hard strong
granite columns diminished. Happy to build with lighter materials and focus on
other aspects of architectural grandeur!

By the 1800's they had the industrial revolution, factories, steam power, oil lamps later electricity
so therefore even the old hard things became much easier. So..... they thought hey ....lets
make one of those granite columns again.
>
> If Hadrian really did get his Pantheon columns from Mons, they
> may already have been pre-fabbed by the earlier civilization
> there and simply repurposed them for the Pantheon. I have to
> believe you can understand that doing so would be a helluva lot
> easier than hewning them raw from the bedrock.
>

Agreed.

> And yes, I consider 60 ton granite columns to be a "special
> case". It's not at all relevant to the technology required to
> sculpt marble statues, build a concrete dome, or lay tile
> floors.

So, the answer to my query about what would satisfy you as the required
"evidence" boils down to .......what you "consider"?

>
> And I'm frankly surprised by your sarcasm here when all I'm
> seeking is evidence. I'd love to see your evidence that the
> Romans really did quarry those 60 ton columns in one piece from
> the stone at the Mons "quarry". Are there any columns only
> partially hewn, or shaped, or finished before they were
> abandoned? Are there any examples of the vehicles used to
> transport those columns? Why are all the columns there
> apparently finished yet broken with apparently none unfinished?
> Where is the authentication of the dating methods used at those
> quarries?
>


I have addressed most of that . How can there be evidence? Either alternatives .
What evidence? Long gone!

Also most importantly, I was not being sarcastic! I really wanted to know what you considered sufficient
evidence to satisfy you.

Do you mean, your conjecture and considered opinion?
Cheers


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