It was surprising to see that the insides of several of the baraccas on Menorca were formed with large stones that were cut 'squarish', having ashlar surfaces and that a lot of attention had be paid to making sure the faces were flush enough to form a smooth vaulted curved surface.
The vault stones (voussoirs) were laid flat and not at an angle as one might have expected. (as the example vault stone is, shown on the left of the column of vault stones in the above illustration)
This would mean that every block of stone would have had to be shaped on a bevel to conform to the curve of the arch. (A lot of work for a mere sheep hut) Would the sheep have minded if the inside of the vault was rough, with stones protruding unevenly? Especially 26 feet up where they wouldn't be looking. I wonder.
And again why are these structures built so tall. Several smaller flattish vaulted buildings might have housed the same number of sheep.
Look out below!!
ReplyDeleteEndlessly fascinating!
ReplyDeleteAlso interesting that they were so careful to shape stones yet
ReplyDeleteignored so many running joints. Yet they remain! Fascinating
structures.. thanks for posting. Looking foward to learning more about
these. J.S.
Beautiful structures!
ReplyDeleteThanks guys for the feedback
ReplyDeleteThere is so much speculation about these structures and what they were used for and how they were built.
We were very privileged to be able to see one close up.