Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
rising in unison—which provided the installations for constructing the Cyclopean
style masonry of these foundations (G.R.H. Wright, “h e Monumental City Gate
in Palestine and its Foundations,” ZA 74, 1984, pp. 365-71).
Considered within the general ambience a constructional device may be sug-
gested as especially relevent to building Cyclopean Walls, because of the con-
formation of the stone units employed. h ese were ot en large compact stones
in the nature of boulders. Whether hewn or somewhat regularised by knock-
ing of excrescences they were usually squarish in cross section, ot en somewhat
rounded of at the angles. Such blocks were more adapted than others to being
rolled along, rather than dragged along. Rolling involves a dramatic reduction in
the coei ecient of friction, and thus in the amount of work to be done against
friction when moving an object. h e practical demonstration of this is that for a
certain input of power where dragging a load up a ramp requires the ramp to be
at a gradient of 1 in 10, the same input of power can roll the load up a ramp with
a gradient of 1 in 3.
h e process of rolling an object up or down an incline is termed parbuckling
(from the arrangement of the ropes to ef ect the operation). A rope is passed under
and back over the object and the lower end of the rope is i xed at the upper level of
the operation. h e upper end of the rope is then drawn in or paid out so roll-
ing the object up or down the slope. h is process has always been standard for
delivering kegs and barrels but is practical for any objects with a cross section
not too far removed from circular. Without asserting that it explains everything
in Cyclopean construction it seems particularly suited to moving heavy blocks
of Cyclopean masonry up and down limited distances where, as in modern use,
the trackway can be provided by timber beams as runners. h is avoids extensive
construction in earth or rubble etc. with the necessity for its subsequent removal.
Parbuckling has been discussed in connection with Megalithic building construc-
tion (R.H.G. Parry, “Megalithic Mechanics,” Civil Engineering 138; H. Simpson,
“Further Rel ections on Megalithic Mechanics,” Civil Engineering, 144, 14). And
also in connection with Pharaonic Egyptian Civil construction. In the latter instance
it specii cally addresses the endemic problem of i nding space for gentle gradient
“long” ramps (P. Hodges,
How the Pyramids were Built
; Dick Parry,
Engineering
the Pyramids
).
h e mechanics of the construction of Bronze Age Cyclopean masonry has never
been investigated to any purpose and deserves a specii c study. h e question, is, of
course, encapsulated in fortii cation walls: city walls in the Levant, fortress/citadel
walls in Mycenaean Greece. Defence is a vital issue and such strong walls had to be
built, and built quickly. It is unrealistic to think that walls constructed with stones
weighing over a ton to a height of e.g. 15 m and with a run of several kilometres
Parbuck-
ling
