Questions tagged [construction]
Questions regarding the history of constructing any type of installations or infrastructure.
46 questions
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How were complex structures built before Newtonian physics?
I am baffled that, prior to the discovery of Newton's laws of physics (beginning with Principia in 1687), people were able to build complex cathedrals and castles. Unlike other simple structures like ...
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What's the oldest known example of an 'overpass'? [closed]
Bridges have been around since ancient times to get over obstacles that can't easily be crossed, like rivers or crevasses.
What is the oldest known example of a bridge specifically built to pass ...
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How did medieval architects determine sizes and numbers of pillars, buttresses etc?
While looking at some magnificent gothic cathedrals, I began to wonder how these buildings were designed. (I hope that this site it the right place to ask, rather than the engineering one?)
For ...
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Is there evidence of a pagan temple on the site of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem that predated the Jewish Temple?
Is there any evidence of a pagan temple having preceded Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem on that same site? I have seen this argument made, but I wanted to know more about the reasons behind this ...
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When did swamp/wetland conversion first begin, and what were the early methods for doing so?
I have been trying to do some research into the early history of humans using wetlands, but haven't had much luck. As I understand it so far, there are a number of methods of "wetland conversion&...
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When a wattle-and-daub construction was demolished, how did they recycle or dispose of the materials?
In the medieval age, when a wattle-and-daub building had to be demolished, did they recycle the materials? Especially the logs of the frames, these seem to be prime targets for reuse.
This article ...
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What are some examples that show medieval stone construction on top of older foundations?
Are there any more blatant examples that show new construction or repairs on older construction? Buildings like castles or walls With visible differences between the two construction eras? For example ...
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What is the purpose of the iron structures seen on the sides of many WW2 flak towers?
I was researching World War 2 flak towers, and was unable to find the purpose of these iron(?) structures seen underneath the main walkway of many flak towers.
My first thought was that it would ...
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Why was 6 WTC not included in the plans to rebuild the World Trade Center?
In reading the Wikipedia article about the new World Trade Center, 6 WTC is conspicuously absent. It doesn't show up in the navigation sidebar:
And there's no mention of it in the list of planned or ...
user53175
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Along side Roman roads, where did the drainage ditches lead? [closed]
Reading about how Roman roads were built, it seems they built drainage ditches on both sides. I've found various sites talking about this, such as this one.
This leads to a question that will sound ...
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When during their construction did Bible-era Jewish temples become "holy"?
As is well documented in the Bible and elsewhere, in Bible times, the innermost area of a temple (often referred to as the Holy of Holies) was only permitted to be occupied by the head priest, and ...
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Do we know how much the Aurelian Wall would have cost to build?
I've been reading about the Aurelian Wall and it's very fascinating, though I wonder how much, in denarii, sestercii, or other, it would have cost the Romans. Is there any way we could possibly ...
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Why didn't pre-Norman English kings build stone town walls?
This question is about defensive city walls, not longer walls such as the Great Wall of China or Hadrian's wall.
After the Norman conquest, many defensive city walls were built by Norman kings in ...
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Are there examples of African/European/American hunter-gatherer's constructions?
Often people think about hunter-gatherers as primitives. "Dark Emu" book is a great example of popular history book that refutes those beliefs. Aboriginal constructions could be quite ...
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What was the purpose of rounded sills in Medieval castles?
At the Saranta Kolones Castle, or Forty Columns Castle, in Paphos, Cyprus, there are several door (gate?) sills which are rounded in the direction of travel, i.e. the edges of the sill that are ...
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