Labour, tree trunks, and stout ropes of twisted hide would have proved
sufficient. It is only necessary to consider very briefly the
megalithic monuments in Egypt, Assyria, and elsewhere, to see that
such tasks were well within the capacities of a race emerging from
comparative savagery. There exists on the wall of a tomb at El Bersheh
in Egypt a very characteristic illustration of the transport of a
Colossus; such as are to be seen _in situ_ in Egypt to-day. The
approximate date of this is B.C. 2700-2500, and prior to Stonehenge by
about 1000 years.
Arrived at the site, the more skilled work of final dressing was
completed. A close examination of the face of some of the fallen
stones reveals several shallow grooves on the face with a rib or
projection between them. It has been suggested that the rough stone
was violently pounded with the heavy mauls until the surface was
broken up and reduced to sand for a considerable depth, and the
_debris_ brushed away. The projecting ridge resulting from this could
then be cut away by hammer and stone chisel, or even by the hammer
alone.
TENONS AND MORTICES
Hitherto no word has been said as to the arrangement of mortice and
tenon, by which the Trilithons are keyed together. This has been done
purposely, in order that the constructional questions relating to
Stonehenge should, as far as possible, be dealt with together, and in
due order. In the outer circle of Trilithons each upright had two
tenons worked on its apex, to bear the two lintels or horizontal
stones which rested upon it. Corresponding mortices were sunk in
those stones to admit the tenons. In the case of the Trilithons of the
Inner Horseshoe, only one tenon on each upright was necessary.
Further, the ends of the lintels of the outer circle were shaped so as
to dovetail into one another, and form what is known as a "toggle"
joint. This can easily be seen to-day, in the group of three
Trilithons which lie between the Altar Stone and the Hele Stone. This
careful arrangement, of mortice, tenon, and toggle, has doubtless very
much to do with the comparative stability of Stonehenge at the present
day. Had these simple but effective measures not been taken, it would
not be exceeding the bounds of possibility to say that to-day the ruin
would have presented a mass of fallen stones, and the task of their
reconstruction would be well-nigh impossible.
[Illustration]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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