Hard basalt pebbles embedded in the tuff were sliced clean through by rut edges — strong evidence the stone was already hard when carved. One listener proposed mining machines with twin drum cutters instead of carts. Malta's Clapham Junction resembles a rail yard with orderly quarrying patterns, while Turkey's appear more haphazard. 🪨
Cut pebbles in tuff suggest ruts carved into hardened stone; quarrying theory proposed
Key facts
- Hard stone pebbles, including basalt, embedded in the tuff were cut clean through by rut edges
- Cut pebbles provide evidence that the tuff was already hardened when the ruts were made
- Listener proposed the ruts could be mining marks rather than cart ruts, with large mining machines using twin drum cutters
- Clapham Junction in Malta is a famous cart rut site resembling a rail yard with multiple converging tracks
- Contributor Mike (Wandering Wolf) reported Malta cart ruts are associated with quarrying routes
- Mike also reported observing cart ruts in China
- The Turkey ruts appear more haphazard than the orderly quarrying patterns at Malta's Clapham Junction
Sources
Clapham Junction (Ancient Trackway)themodernantiquarian.com
If you want to see prehistoric cart ruts then Misrah Ghar il-Kbir aka Clapham Junction is pretty much the place to go.
Clapham Junction - Malta's Mysterious Cart Tracksthemaritimeexplorer.ca
Clapham Junction in Malta is a collection of mysterious rock formations that strongly resemble cart tracks, but are they?
Cart Ruts at Misrah Ghar il-Kbir (Clapham Junction)komoot.com
The Cart Ruts at Misrah Ghar il-Kbir, famously nicknamed "Clapham Junction," represent one of Malta's most intriguing historical sites. Located in Siġġiewi,
Malta's Prehistoric “Cart Ruts” Defy Explanationhistoricmysteries.com
The term “cart ruts” arises from their visual similarity to tracks left by carts, but their exact purpose and method of creation remain unknown.
Misraħ Għar il-Kbiren.wikipedia.org
Misrah Ghar il-Kbir (informally known as Clapham Junction) is a prehistoric site. It is best known for its "cart ruts", a complex network of tracks carved in ...
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