Melting at a temperature 140° lower than copper, bronze is better for casting.
Bronze melts at a temperature 140° lower than copper. Bronze is better for casting.
Bronze quickly became more popular than pure copper. Bronze was the most commonly used metal for over 1,000 years.
Quickly becoming more popular than pure copper, bronze was the most commonly used metal for over 1,000 years.
Melting at 2800°, iron required much more heat than charcoal furnaces were able to produce.
Iron melts at 2800°. Iron required much more heat than charcoal furnaces were able to produce.
Ancient engineers used just the few materials we have discussed. Ancient engineers designed many wonderful and helpful inventions and structures.
Using just the few materials we have discussed, ancient engineers designed many wonderful and helpful inventions and structures.
Building in irregular patterns with large stone blocks, the Mycenaeans constructed such large buildings that later Greeks thought they had been built by giants.
The Mycenaeans built in irregular patterns with large stone blocks. The Mycenaeans constructed such large buildings that later Greeks thought they had been built by giants.
The Greeks invented nothing themselves. The Greeks improved on the ideas of the people around them.
Inventing nothing themselves, the Greeks improved on the ideas of the people around them.
Probably learning their techniques from the Egyptians, Greek masons cut rectangular stone blocks and laid them in horizontal layers.
Greek masons probably learned their techniques from the Egyptians. Greek masons cut rectangular stone blocks and laid them in horizontal layers.
The Greeks located their quarries on hillsides. The Greeks were able to move the heavy limestone and marble blocks mostly downhill from the quarries to the building sites.
Locating their quarries on hillsides, the Greeks were able to move the heavy limestone and marble blocks mostly downhill from the quarries to the building sites.
Requiring huge wagons for overland transport, the largest stone blocks were pulled by over thirty teams of oxen.
The largest stone blocks required huge wagons for overland transport. The largest stone blocks were pulled by over thirty teams of oxen.
The beams over the tops of the columns were over 25 feet long. The beams over the tops of the columns posed an even greater transportation problem than the column drums.
Being over 25 feet long, the beams over the tops of the columns posed an even greater transportation problem than the column drums.
Building a temporary dirt ramp, construction workers dragged the heavy stone blocks up and into place.
Construction workers built a temporary dirt ramp. Construction workers dragged the heavy stone blocks up and into place.
The Greek builders had to solve the problem of lifting stones a different way than the Egyptians did. The Greek builders had a smaller workforce than the Egyptians had.
The Greek builders had to solve the problem of lifting stones a different way than the Egyptians did, having a smaller workforce than the Egyptians had.
They lifted heavy blocks without using large groups of workers.
They lifted heavy blocks. They did not use large groups of workers.
They did not use large groups of workers. They lifted heavy blocks.
Without using large groups of workers, they lifted heavy blocks.
Leaving stone lugs on the sides of the blocks at the quarry allowed the blocks to be lifted without passing a rope underneath.
They left stone lugs on the sides of the blocks at the quarry. This allowed the blocks to be lifted without passing a rope underneath.
They lifted blocks with a Lewis bolt. This allowed the blocks to be put into place without passing a rope underneath.
Lifting blocks with a Lewis bolt allowed the blocks to be put into place without passing a rope underneath.
Hollowing the top and bottom of a column drum is called anathyrosis.
They hollowed the top and bottom of a column drum. This is called anathyrosis.