Stoneworking techniques: pinch holes and cut marks

Temple complex< 4500 BC
Largest Megaliths in the World - Baalbek, Lebanon
Source: Largest Megaliths in the World - Baalbek, Lebanon by Wandering Wolf

Site mentioned

📄 Baalbek🗺️ More sites in Lebanon🌍 Show on the globe

Round holes appear on certain stones at Baalbek, including the Stone of the Pregnant Woman in the quarry. Cut marks and drill marks have been documented on some surfaces. Evidence for pinch lifting holes is limited to specific stones, and their exact purpose remains debated among researchers.

Key facts

  • Pinch holes (lifting holes) found all over the site, including on walls and stones
  • Cut marks and drill marks visible on stones throughout
  • Pinch holes represent the first found at the site for the speaker
  • Similar pinch hole examples found on sites worldwide across different continents
  • These are typical megalithic construction techniques for moving and placing massive stones

More about Baalbek

Sources

Baalbek, Lebanon's Sacred Fortress - Andrew Collins - authorandrewcollins.com
Admittedly, the Stone of the Pregnant Woman remaining in the quarry does contain a seemingly random series of round holes in its upper surface, yet their ...
Moving the Stones of Baalbek–The Wonders of Roman Engineeringgilgamesh42.wordpress.com
The hole is placed over the center of gravity of the object, so this cannot be what was used at many of the Baalbek stones which have holes ...
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