Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
h e balance of these factors was such that from the earliest stages of rock cut-
ting in Old Kingdom Egypt sizeable chambers were hewn out by quarrying. h e
hypogeum type of rock cut premises (as associated with Pyramids and the New
Kingdom Tombs of the Kings at h ebes) presented some unpropitious circum-
stances, cf steeply inclined passage ways, but this was not prohibitive. In fact very
little close investigation has been made in hypogea to determine the incidence of
quarrying out these premises.
It is rather the other type of rock cut monument, the “speos”, or façade
monument cut in the clif face where circumstances were entirely favourable for
quarrying. Here surviving
in situ
evidence shows it to have been practiced. Such
monuments at Aswan and at Beni Hassan are in regions noted for quarrying, and
the wide, open porches align these monuments with underground quarries. More-
over it is this type of rock cut monument, rather than the hypogeum variety which
spread beyond Egypt notably in Anatolia, the Levant and Cyrenaica to produce
spectacular vistas at sites such as Caunus (Caria), Cyrene, Petra and Medain Saleh,
etc. At the latter sites where the rock cut façade monument is most prolii c close
observation recently by J.-C. Bessac has assembled much
in situ
evidence of the
quarrying procedures (v J.-C. Bessac, “Le Travail de la Pierre à Petra”).
It now remains to speak of the third division of rock cut monuments in the
nature of buildings, i.e. the entirely free standing monuments. h ese monuments
as fully developed are spectacular, but their l oruit does not fall within the Ancient
World as here designated. Rock cut monuments of the façade type found increase
in Anatolia, initially in Lycia, Phrygia and thence spread eastward through the
mountainous region of Urartu, Media to be developed in Achaemenid Persia (cf
the Royal Tombs in the clif s backing Persepolis). Hence rock cutting found its way
into India where it l ourished in all forms with spectacular examples of the free
standing rock cut type in Buddhist (e.g. Ellora) and early Hindu (Mahaballipuram)
times. h is fell chronologically within the Ancient World but lay geographically
beyond its boundaries. When free standing rock cut monuments were fashioned
on a notable scale within the geographical region of the Ancient World (e.g. h e
Cappadocian Rock Cut Churches), it was in a later (Mediaeval) Age (cf P. Brown,
Indian Architecture chaps 5, 13, 15; G. de Jerphanion, Les Eglises Rupestres de
Cappadoce).
Nevertheless some instances of free standing rock cut monuments (“Mono-
lithic buildings”) occurred in the Ancient World, in the eastern region rather
than the western region. For brevity the following representative instances may
be adduced:
Quar-
rying
out of
rock cut
monu-
ments
309
310-312
312-314
315, 319
316-318
319
323, 324
(1) h e Tomb of Pharaoh's Daughter at Silwan.
(2) h e “Jin Blocks” at Petra.
(3) h e East Fort at Apollonia in Cyrenaica.
320
321
322
