View source for List of largest monoliths

{{Short description|None}}
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM 'Het verslepen van de steen 'Darodaro' voor de gestorven Saoenigeho van Bawamataloea Nias TMnr 1000095b.jpg|thumb|300 px|People on [[Nias]] in [[Indonesia]] move [[monolith]]s to a construction site, {{c.|1915}}]]

This is a '''list of monoliths''' organized according to the size of the largest block of stone on the site. A [[monolith]] is a large stone which has been used to build a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. In this list at least one colossal stone over ten tons has been moved to create the structure or monument.

In most cases ancient civilizations had little, if any, advanced technology that would help them move these monoliths.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}} The most notable exception is that of the [[Ancient Egyptians]], [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]] and [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], who had [[Roman crane|cranes]] and [[Treadwheel crane|treadwheel]]s to help lift colossal stones (see [[List of ancient monoliths|list of ancient Greek and Roman monoliths]]).

This article also includes a list of modern [[experimental archaeology]] efforts to move colossal stones using technologies available to the respective ancient civilizations.

Most of these weights are based on estimates by published scholars; however, there have been numerous false estimates of many of these stones presented as fact. To help recognize exaggerations, an introductory description shows how to calculate the weight of colossal stones from first principles.

== Calculating the weight of monoliths ==
In the cases of smaller monoliths it may be possible to weigh them. However, in most cases monoliths are too large or they may be part of an ancient structure so this method cannot be used. The [[weight]] of a stone can be calculated by multiplying its [[volume]] and [[density]]. Each of these presents challenges.

=== Volume ===
To obtain accurate estimates, one needs to survey the monolith, including realistic and explicit assessment of the shapes of inaccessible portions, and then calculate the volume and estimate volumetric errors, which vary crudely as the cube of linear uncertainties.

=== Density ===
[[File:Gobekli Tepe 2.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Monolith]] with [[bull]], [[fox]], and [[crane (bird)|crane]] in [[low relief]] at [[Göbekli Tepe]] ]]

The density of most stone is between 2 and 3 tons per cubic meter. [[Basalt]] weighs about 2.8 to 3.0 tons per cubic meter; [[granite]] averages about 2.75 metric tons per cubic meter; [[limestone]], 2.7 metric tons per cubic meter; [[sandstone]] or [[marble]], 2.5 tons per cubic meter.<ref>{{Citation
  | last = Kumagai
  | first = Naoichi
 |author2=Sadao Sasajima |author3=Hidebumi Ito
  | title = Long-term Creep of Rocks: Results with Large Specimens Obtained in about 20 Years and Those with Small Specimens in about 3 Years
  | journal = Journal of the Society of Materials Science (Japan)
  | volume = 27
  | issue = 293
  | pages = 157–161
  | publisher = Japan Energy Society
  | url = https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110002299397/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=4&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DIto%2BHidebumi%26hl%3Den
  | date = 15 February 1978
| access-date = 16 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://palm.sri.com/palm/tasks/6-8/Dminerals/directs.html |title=Density of Minerals Task with Student Directions|work=Performance Assessment Links in Math (PALM)|publisher=[[SRI International]]|access-date=30 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://strata.geol.sc.edu/terminology/densitylog.html |title=Glossary |publisher=Strata.geol.sc.edu |access-date=12 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307100330/http://strata.geol.sc.edu/terminology/densitylog.html |archive-date=7 March 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://meteorites.wustl.edu/id/density.htm |title=density & specific gravity of meteorites |publisher=Meteorites.wustl.edu |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurostonemarble.com/tips.htm |title=Eurostone Marble Inc.com |publisher=Eurostonemarble.com |access-date=12 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907065251/http://www.eurostonemarble.com/tips.htm |archive-date=7 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some softer stones may be lighter than 2 tons per cubic meter; for example, volcanic [[tuff]] or some types of sandstone weigh about 1.9 tons per cubic meter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.albarrie.com/techfabrics/continuousfiber.aspx |title=Basalt Continuous Fiber |publisher=Albarrie.com |access-date=12 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091103234348/http://www.albarrie.com/techfabrics/continuousfiber.aspx |archive-date=3 November 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite report|title=Energy Citations Database (ECD) – Document #5461391 |publisher=Osti.gov |date=1 April 1985 |osti = 5461391|last1=Carlson |first1=R. A. }}</ref><ref name=tzb>{{cite web|url=https://stavba.tzb-info.cz/cihly-bloky-tvarnice/17226-vlastnosti-vybranych-ceskych-piskovcu |title=Vlastnosti vybraných českých pískovců |last=Ing. Monika Čáchová, Ph.D., Ing. Dana Koňáková, Ing. Jan Kočí, Ph.D., doc. Ing. Eva Vejmelková, Ph.D |access-date=9 July 2024 |language=cs }}</ref> Since the density of most of these stones varies, it is necessary to know the source of the stone to obtain accurate measurements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onekama.k12.mi.us/m2001/mwarman/warman00/dens_calculating.htm |title=Calculating Density |publisher=Onekama.k12.mi.us |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onekama.k12.mi.us/onekama98-99/gr6/density.htm |title=Nuts & Bolts of Density |publisher=Onekama.k12.mi.us |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref> Identifying the rock type alone is not sufficient, as this table<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/ES304/MODULES/GRAV/NOTES/densities.html |title=Density Variations of Earth Materials |publisher=Earthsci.unimelb.edu.au |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref> illustrates:

{| class="wikitable"
|+Densities of common rocks<br />in g/cm<sup>3</sup> or tons/m<sup>3</sup>
! Material !! Density
|- 
| [[Sediments]] || 1.7–2.3
|- 
| [[Sandstone]] || 1.9–2.7<ref name=tzb/> 
|- 
| [[Shale]] || 2.0–2.7 
|- 
| [[Limestone]] || 2.5–2.8 
|- 
| [[Granite]] || 2.5–2.8 
|- 
| [[Metamorphic Rock|Metamorphic rock]] || 2.6–3.0 
|- 
| [[Basalts|Basalt]] || 2.7–3.1 
|}

Simply identifying the monolith as sandstone would allow a ± 15% uncertainty in the weight estimate.
In practice, one would measure the density of the monolith itself, and preferably document any variation in density within the monolith, as it may not be homogeneous. Non-destructive methods of density measurements are available (e.g., electron back-scatter); alternatively, the site may contain already-separated fragments of the monolith which can be used for laboratory measurements or on-site techniques. At the crudest, a weighing device and a bucket can obtain two significant figures for a density value.

== Quarried monoliths ==
[[File:Assuan 07.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[unfinished obelisk]] of Aswan]]

This section lists monoliths that have been at least partially quarried but not moved.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1px; border:1px solid #ccc;"
|-  style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" "
! Weight
! Name/Site
! Type
! Country
! Location
! Builder
! Comment
|-
| {{Sort|165000|{{0|~}}1,650 t}}<ref>{{Cite web| title = Archaeologists Discover The World's Largest Ancient Stone Block| work = io9| date = 28 November 2014| access-date = 29 November 2014| url = http://io9.com/archaeologists-discover-the-worlds-largest-ancient-ston-1664281050
}}</ref>
| [[Baalbek Stones#Forgotten Stone|Forgotten Stone]]
| Block
| [[Lebanon]]
| [[Baalbek]]
| [[Roman Empire]]
| 19.6 m long, 6 m wide, ≥5.5 m high
|-
| {{Sort|124200|{{0|~}}1,242 t}}<ref>{{harvnb|Ruprechtsberger|1999|p=17}}</ref>
| [[Baalbek Stones#Stone of the South|Stone of the South]]
| Block
| [[Lebanon]]
| [[Baalbek]]
| [[Roman Empire]]
| 19.5–20.5 m long, 4.34–4.56 m wide, 4.5 m high
|-
| {{Sort|110000|{{0|~}}1,100 t}}<ref>{{harvnb|Klemm|Klemm|1993|pp=323f.}}</ref>
| [[Unfinished obelisk]]
| [[Obelisk]]
| [[Egypt]]
| [[Aswan]]
| [[Ancient Egypt]]
| 41.75 m long, 2.5–4.4 m wide
|-
| {{Sort|100000,12|{{0|~}}1,000.12 t}}<ref>{{harvnb|Ruprechtsberger|1999|p=15}}</ref>
| [[Baalbek Stones#Stone of the Pregnant Woman|Stone of the Pregnant Woman]]
| Block
| [[Lebanon]]
| [[Baalbek]]
| [[Roman Empire]]
| 20.31–20.76 m long, 4–5.29 m wide, 4.21–4.32 m high
|-
| <ref>{{citation|last=Sharma|first=Bhika|title=Jain Sidha Ksehtra Mangi-Tungi|url=http://www.mangitungi.highestjainidolinworld.com/en_US/|publisher=Webdunia|access-date=11 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504015255/http://www.mangitungi.highestjainidolinworld.com/en_US/|archive-date=4 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| [[Statue of Ahimsa]]
| Statue
| [[India]]
| [[Mangi-Tungi]], [[Nashik district]] of [[Maharashtra]]
| [[Gyanmati]], 2016
| {{convert|108|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|-
|-
| <ref>{{citation|last=Sharma|first=Bhika|title=जैन सिद्ध क्षेत्र बावनगजा|url=http://hindi.webdunia.com/religious-journey-articles/जैन-सिद्ध-क्षेत्र-बावनगजा-108020200057_1.htm|publisher=Webdunia}}</ref>
| [[Bawangaja]]
| Statue
| [[India]]
| [[Barwani district]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]]
|
| {{convert|84|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|-
| 400–600 t
| [[Gommateshwara statue]]
| Statue
| [[India]]
| [[Shravanabelagola]] of [[Karnataka]] 
| [[Chavundaraya]]
| {{convert|60|ft|m|abbr=on}} tall, over {{convert|30|ft|m|abbr=on}} wide
|-
|
| [[Gopachal rock cut Jain monuments|Rishabha Statue at Gopachal Hill]]
| Statue
| [[India]]
| [[Gwalior Fort]] of Madhya Pradesh
| Jain laymen
| {{convert|58.4|ft|m|abbr=on}} tall
|-
| {{Sort|020700|{{0|~1,}}207 t}}<ref>{{harvnb|Maxfield|2001|p=158}}</ref>
| [[Granite]] column 
| Column
| [[Egypt]]
| [[Mons Claudianus]]
| [[Roman Empire]]
| Ca. 17.7&nbsp;m (59 feet) long<!-- It is not entirely clear whether Scaife means international [[Foot (length)|foot]] or [[Ancient Roman units of measurement|Roman foot]] --><ref>{{harvnb|Scaife|1953|p=37}}</ref>
| 
|}

== Moved monoliths ==
[[File:The Bronze Horseman.jpg|thumb|170px|The 1,250 t heavy [[Bronze Horseman#Thunder Stone|Thunder Stone]] in Saint Petersburg. On top is an equestrian statue of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]]]]
[[File:Trajans column from SSW.jpg|thumb|upright|The 53.3 t heavy [[Capital (architecture)|capital]] block (the rectangular platform fitted with a railing) of [[Trajan's Column]] in [[Rome]], Italy, was lifted by [[Roman crane]]s to a record height of about 34 m.]]
[[File:The Western Stone by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Western Stone]] of the [[Western Wall]] in Jerusalem weighs 517 t.]]
[[File:Menec alignment.JPG|right|thumb|[[Neolithic]] [[Carnac Stones]], France]]
[[File:Radimlja, Nekropola2.JPG|thumb|right|[[Stećci]] of [[medieval]] [[Radimlja]] [[necropolis]], [[Stolac]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].]]
[[File:Daorson, Bosnia and Herzegovina.jpg|right|thumb|[[Cyclopean masonry|Cyclopean walls]] of the ancient [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] city of [[Daorson]], Stolac, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.]]
[[File:IMG BrownshillDolmen.jpg|thumb|[[Brownshill Dolmen]], Ireland (4th millennium BC). The great capstone weighs about 100 tons.]]
This section lists monoliths that have been quarried and moved.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1px; border:1px solid #ccc;"
|-  style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" "
! data-sort-type="number"|Weight
! Name/Site
! Type
! Location
! Builder
! Comment

|-
| 1,250 t<ref name="Adam 1977, 42−45">{{harvnb|Adam|1977|pp=42−45}}</ref> 
| [[Bronze Horseman#Thunder Stone|Thunder Stone]]
| Boulder, Statue pedestal
| [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russia]]
| [[Russian Empire]], 1770
| Moved 6&nbsp;km overland for shipment,<ref name="Adam 1977, 42−45"/> and cut from 1,500 t to current size in transport<ref name = "La Nature">{{cite web | title = Transport du piédestal de la statue de Pierre le Grand | url = http://cnum.cnam.fr/CGI/fpage.cgi?4KY28.19/351/100/432/0/0 |work=La Nature magazine, second semester 1882. | access-date = 22 April 2007|language=fr}}</ref>
|-
| 1,000 t{{Sfn|Scarre|1999|p=268}}
| [[Ramesseum]]
| Statue 
| [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], [[Egypt]]
| [[Ancient Egypt]]
| Transported {{convert|170|mi|km}} by ship from [[Aswan]] 
|-
| 800 t each<ref name="Adam 1977, 52">{{harvnb|Adam|1977|p=52}}</ref>
| [[Baalbek Stones|Trilithon]] (3×)
| Blocks
| [[Baalbek]], [[Lebanon]]
| [[Roman Empire]]
| Plus about 24 blocks 300 tons each<ref>Alouf, Michael M., 1944: History of Baalbek. American Press. p. 129</ref>
|-
| 700 t each
| [[Colossi of Memnon]] (2×)
| Statues 
| [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], [[Egypt]]
| [[Ancient Egypt]]
| Transported {{convert|420|mi|km}} from [[el-Gabal el-Ahmar]] (near modern-day Cairo) over land without using the Nile.{{Sfn|Scarre|1999|p=268}}<ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Ramses II: Magnificence on the Nile (1993)</ref>
|-
| 520 tons, 170 tons, and 160 tons
| Great Stele, [[King Ezana's Stele]], [[Obelisk of Axum]]
| Stelae
| [[Axum]], [[Ethiopia]]
| 
| The stelae were moved about {{convert|2.6|mi|km}}.{{Sfn|Scarre|1999|pp=281–285}} King Ezana's stele and the "Obelisk" of Axum were among seven such monuments set up in Axum in the 4th century AD. The Great Stele was never successfully erected and broke into pieces at its present site.
|-
| 400 t<ref>Siliotti, Alberto, Zahi Hawass, 1997 "Guide to the Pyramids of Egypt" p. 62</ref>
| Temple in complex for [[Khafre's Pyramid]]
| 
| [[Giza]], [[Egypt]]
| 
|  
|-
| 300–500 t<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.megalithic.co.uk/search.php?query=&topic=&author=&sitetype=44&county=602&category=&type=stories |title=Text Browse by Country, County and Type of Site : The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map |publisher=Megalithic.co.uk |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
| Masuda no iwafune
| 
| [[Asuka, Nara]], Japan
| 
| Large stone structure approximately 11 meters in length, 8 meters in width, and 4.7 meters In height
|-
| 340 t<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lacma.org/sites/default/files/LevitatedMassFAQ.pdf |title=Levitated Mass FAQ |publisher= Los Angeles County Museum of Art |access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref>
| [[Levitated Mass]]
| 
| [[Los Angeles]], California, United States
|Sculpture by Michael Heizer, 2012
| Moved 106 miles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://obsart.blogspot.fr/2012/02/340t-340g-heizer-perray-usa-fr-280212.html#levitatedmasses |title=Mass movers |date=26 February 2012 |publisher= Observatoire du Land Art |access-date=19 November 2012}}</ref>
|-
|330 t{{Sfn|Scarre|1999|pp=255–257}}
|[[Locmariaquer megaliths#The Broken Menhir of Er Grah|The Broken Menhir of Er Grah]]
|[[Menhir]]
|[[Locmariaquer]], [[Brittany]], [[France]]
|[[Neolithic]](4700 BC)
|Moved 10–20&nbsp;km. It once stood but was later broken in 4 
|-
| 250–300 t<ref name="JolBahat">Harry M. Jol, Paul D. Bauman and [[Dan Bahat]]: Looking into the Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel. in: Dan Bahat, The Jerusalem Western Wall Tunnel, Israel Exploration Society, 2013, pp. 395–400.</ref>
| [[Western Stone]], Temple Mount
| Block
| [[Jerusalem]], [[Israel]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/palestine/ch12.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-06-28 |archive-date=2019-08-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808102228/https://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/palestine/ch12.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| [[Herod the Great|Herod]], King of [[Herodian Kingdom of Judea|Judea]] during the Second Temple period
|Weight is disputed; a 2006 analysis estimated the depth of this stone at only 1.8–2.5 m, for a weight of 250–300 t.<ref name="JolBahat"/> Weight formerly said to be 550 to 600 t.<ref>The History Channel, in "Lost Worlds of King Herod", cited a 16.5 m depth and 567 tonnes estimate</ref><ref>[[Dan Bahat]]: Touching the Stones of our Heritage, Israeli ministry of Religious Affairs, 2002</ref>
|-
| 230 t<ref name="Heidenreich 1971 63">{{harvnb|Heidenreich|Johannes|1971|p=63}}</ref>
| [[Mausoleum of Theodoric]] 
| Roof slab 
| [[Ravenna]], [[Italy]]
| [[Ostrogothic Kingdom]]
|
|-
| 220 t<ref>Edwards, Dr. I.E.S.: The Pyramids of Egypt 1986/1947 pp. 147–163</ref>
| [[Menkaure's Pyramid]]
| 
| [[Giza]], [[Egypt]]
| 
| Largest stones in mortuary temple 
|-
| 200 t<ref>source: Edwards, Dr. I.E.S.: The Pyramids of Egypt 1986/1947 pp. 175–176, 180–181, 275</ref>
| [[Sahure]]'s pyramid 
| 
| [[Saqqara]], [[Egypt]]
| 
| Largest stones over king's chamber 
|-
| 200 t<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/dolmen.html |title=Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites – World Heritage Site – Pictures, info and travel reports |publisher=World Heritage Site |date=1 January 2010 |access-date=12 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524003739/http://worldheritagesite.org/sites/dolmen.html |archive-date=24 May 2013 }}</ref>
| [[Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites]]
| 
| Korea 
| 
| Largest stone at the site
|-
! Weight
! Name/Site
! Type
! Location
! Builder
! Comment
|}

*[[Stećak]] tombstone monuments of [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].<ref name="Stolac-Stećci-Daorson-UNESCO">{{cite web |title=The natural and architectural ensemble of Stolac |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5282/ |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Daorson]], ancient [[Illyria]]n city near [[Stolac]] in Bosnia and Herzegovina, built around central acropolis and surrounded with [[cyclopean masonry|Cyclopean walls]] made of large stone megaliths.<ref name="Stolac-Stećci-Daorson-UNESCO"/>
*Colossal statue of [[Tlaloc]], in [[Coatlinchan]]. Made of basalt, weighing 168 tons.<ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series:Aztecs: Reign of Blood and Splendor (1992) pp. 45–47</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://instructional1.calstatela.edu/bevans/Art446-03-Teotihuacan/WebPage-Info.00033.html |title=Non-Western – Rain God, Tlaloc |publisher=Instructional1.calstatela.edu |access-date=12 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716210946/http://instructional1.calstatela.edu/bevans/Art446-03-Teotihuacan/WebPage-Info.00033.html |archive-date=16 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chapala.com/chapala/ojo2006/tlaloc.html |title=Mexico'S Lord Of The Waters |publisher=Chapala.com |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
*The Kerloas [[menhir]], Brittany, France. Largest, 150 tons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sophie-g.net/photo/bret/brest/kerloas01.htm |title=Kerloas menhir – Menhir de Kerloas [Sophie's maze&#93; |publisher=Sophie-g.net |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
*[[Pyramid of Khendjer]] at Saqqara, Egypt. 150-ton, one-piece quartzite burial chamber.<ref>Edwards, Dr. I.E.S.: The Pyramids of Egypt 1986/1947 pp. 246–249</ref>
*[[Tiwanaku]], Bolivia. Several ashlars, 100 to 130 tons, were transported {{convert|6|mi|km}}.<ref>Browman, D. L., 1981, New light on Andean Tiwanaku. New Scientist. vol. 69, no. 4, pp. 408–419.</ref><ref>Coe, Michael, Dean Snow, and Elizabeth Benson, 1986 "Atlas of Ancient America" p. 190</ref>
*[[Sacsayhuamán]], wall near [[Cusco, Peru]]. Largest stones over 125 tons.{{Sfn|Scarre|1999|pp=220–221}}
*[[Treasury of Atreus]] at Mycenae, Greece. Largest lintel stone, 120 tons.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*The Pyramid of Amenemhet III, at [[Hawara]], Egypt. 110-ton, one piece quartzite burial chamber.<ref>Edwards, Dr. I.E.S.: The Pyramids of Egypt 1986/1947 pp. 237–240</ref><ref>Siliotti, Alberto, Zahi Hawass, 1997 "Guide to the Pyramids of Egypt"</ref>
*[[Brownshill Dolmen]], 100 metric tons.<ref>{{Citation | last=Weir, A| year=1980 |title=Early Ireland. A Field Guide | publisher=Blackstaff Press | location=Belfast | page=101}}</ref>
*[[Baths of Caracalla]], Rome, Italy. Granite columns close to 100 tons.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*Fortress of [[Mycenae]], Greece. Largest stones close to 100 tons.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*[[Menhir de Champ-Dolent]], Brittany, France. [[Menhir]] of about 100 tons.<ref name="danzzz">{{cite book |last=Danze |first=Jean |date=2011 |title=Le secret des menhirs: de Bretagne et d'ailleurs |publisher=La Découvrance |page=22 |language=fr |isbn=978-2842657000}}</ref>
*Pyramid of [[Nyuserre Ini]]. 12 megalithic limestone beams 10 meters long weighing 90 tons each, forming the roof of burial chamber and antechamber.<ref>Lehner, Mark The Complete Pyramids, London: Thames and Hudson (1997) pp. 148–149 {{ISBN|0-500-05084-8}}</ref>
*[[Moai]] at [[Easter Island]]. Largest moai 70 to 86 tons. The tallest one, Paro, was moved {{convert|3.75|mi|km}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/easter/explore/paro.html |title=NOVA Online &#124; Secrets of Easter Island &#124; Paro |publisher=Pbs.org |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
*[[Great Pyramid of Giza]], Egypt. Largest slabs on burial chamber, 80 tons. The granite was transported {{convert|580|mi|km}} from Aswan by barge on the Nile river.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*[[Karnak]], Egypt. Obelisk, 328 tons. Largest architraves, 70 tons. Sandstone transported from [[Gebel el-Silsila|Gebel Silsila]] {{convert|100|mi|km}}.<ref>Walker, Charles, 1980 "Wonders of the Ancient World" pp. 24–27</ref><ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Ramses II: Magnificence on the Nile (1993) pp. 53–54</ref>
*[[Trajan's Column]], Rome, Italy. [[Pedestal]] blocks: 77 t<ref name="Lancaster 1999, 430">{{harvnb|Lancaster|1999|p=430}}</ref>
*[[Ishibutai Kofun]] in [[Asuka, Nara]], Japan. Largest stone, 75 tons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asukanet.gr.jp/asukahome/ASUKA2/ASUKAKOFUN/isibutaiK.html |title=ASUKA/isibutai kofun |publisher=Asukanet.gr.jp |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
*[[Pantheon, Rome]], Italy. Granite columns, 39 feet (11.8 m) tall, five feet (1.5 m) in diameter, and 60 tons in weight were transported from Egypt by barge.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Parker |first=Freda |url=http://static.monolithic.com/thedome/pantheon/index.html |title=The Pantheon – Rome – 126 AD &#124; Monolithic |publisher=Static.monolithic.com |date=12 May 2009 |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
*[[Olmec]] heads, Mexico, gulf coast. Largest [[Olmec colossal heads|Olmec head]], almost 50 tons. Transported 37 to {{convert|62|mi|km}}.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*[[Ħaġar Qim]], one of the [[Megalithic Temples of Malta]]. Its largest stone weighs 57 tons and measures approximately {{convert|19|ft|m}} long by {{convert|9|ft|m}} tall by {{convert|2|ft|m}} thick.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/malta/hq7.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=17 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212200028/http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/malta/hq7.html |archive-date=12 February 2012 }}</ref> The Maltese temples are the oldest free-standing structures on Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/malta/ |title=The Prehistoric Archaeology of the Temples of Malta |publisher=Bradshawfoundation.com |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
*[[Ashoka Pillar]]s, weighing up to about 50 tons, were transported throughout India to territory ruled by [[Ashoka]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html |title=King Ashoka : His Edicts and His Times |publisher=Cs.colostate.edu |access-date=12 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028175927/http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html |archive-date=28 October 2013 }}</ref>
*[[Göbekli Tepe]], Turkey. Megaliths from 10 to a 50-ton pillar still in its quarry<ref>{{cite book|last=Taracha|first=Piotr|title=Religions of second millennium Anatolia|year=2009|publisher=Eisenbrauns|isbn=978-3-447-05885-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xTE7o8aKI7IC&q=%22G%C3%B6bekli+Tepe%22+%2250+tons%22&pg=PA12|page=12}}</ref> transported up to a 1/4 mile.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archaeology.org/0811/abstracts/turkey.html |title=The World's First Temple |publisher=Archaeology.org |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
*[[Stonehenge]], England. Largest stones over 40 tons were moved {{convert|18|mi|km}}; smaller bluestones up to 5 tons were moved {{convert|130|mi|km}}.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*[[Trajan's column]] Rome, Italy. Forty-ton drums. The capital block of Trajan's Column weighs 53.3 tons.<ref>Lynne Lancaster,"Building Trajan's Column," American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 103, No. 3. (Jul. 1999) p. 426</ref>
*[[Rameses IV]] reopened the stone quarries of [[Wadi Hammamat]] and had stones dragged {{convert|60|mi|km}} across land to the Nile, then freighted on barges to temples and his tomb in Thebes. Some of these weighed over 40 tons.<ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Ramses II: Magnificence on the Nile (1993) p. 133</ref>
*[[Dur-Sharrukin]], Iraq. Largest colossal bull, 40 tons.<ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Mesopotamia: The Mighty Kings pp. 118–119</ref>
*[[Nineveh]], Iraq. Largest colossal bulls, 30 tons each, were transported 30 miles (48&nbsp;km) from quarries at Balatai, then lifted 65 feet (20 m) once they arrived at the site.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*[[Nimrud]], Iraq. Largest colossal bull, 30 tons.<ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Mesopotamia: The Mighty Kings. (1995) pp. 112–121</ref>
*[[Maeshowe]] Orkney Islands, Scotland. Largest flagstone, 30 tons.<ref>Lost Worlds: The Pagans (of Britain) History Channel series with contributions from historian Prof. Ronald Hutton, Archeologists Erika Guttmann and Martin Carruthers</ref>
*[[Caesarea Maritima]], harbor of Caesarea, Israel. Largest stone 20 tons.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*[[Teotihuacan]], Mexico. 22-ton water deity on top of the [[Pyramid of the Moon]].<ref>Walker, Charles, 1980 "Wonders of the Ancient World" pp. 150–253</ref>
*[[Aztec calendar stone]] at [[Tenochtitlan]], Mexico. 24 tons.<ref>''Aztecs: Reign of Blood and Splendor''. Virginia:Time Life, 1992.</ref>
*[[Palenque]], Mexico. The largest stones weigh 12 to 15 tons.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*The [[Parthenon]] in Athens, Greece. Largest stones 10 tons.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}
*[[Nubian pyramids]]. Sarcophagus, weighing 15.5 tons, and heavier granite statues up to at least 18 feet tall.<ref>Lehner, Mark The Complete Pyramids, London: Thames and Hudson (1997) pp. 196–197 {{ISBN|0-500-05084-8}}.</ref>
*[[Angkor Wat]], [[Angkor Thom]] and other Angkor temples, Cambodia. Five million tons of sandstone were transported {{convert|25|mi|km}} along the river for Angkor Wat.{{sfn|Scarre|1999}}<ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Southeast Asia: A Past Regained (1995)</ref>
*[[Newgrange]], Ireland. Built in 3200 BC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knowth.com/newgrange-book.htm |title=Newgrange: Archaeology, Art and Legend by Michael, J, O'Kelly, & Newgrange Excavation Report Critique by Alan Marshall. Summary of excavations at Newgrange|publisher=Knowth.com |access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref>
*Huge blocks, some weighing over 100 tons, at the Valley Temple.<ref>Siliotti, Alberto, Zahi Hawass, 1997 "Guide to the Pyramids of Egypt" pp. 63–69</ref>
*45 Degrees, 90 Degrees, 180 Degrees at [[Rice University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timeline.centennial.rice.edu/entry/415/|title=Rice Centennial Timeline|access-date=2014-02-02|archive-date=2015-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023213719/http://timeline.centennial.rice.edu/entry/415/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Several monuments were moved to higher positions from [[Hasankeyf]], Turkey, due to the flood caused by the completion of the [[Ilisu Dam]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2019/10/hasankeyf-moving-an-ancient-town-to-higher-ground/599656/|title=Moving an Ancient Town to Higher Ground|website=The Atlantic|date=8 October 2019}}</ref>
*[[Hagia Sophia]] in Istanbul, Turkey. Columns close to, if not more than, 100 tons.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Atchison |first1=Bob |title=Columns and Capitals of Hagia Sophia |url=https://www.pallasweb.com/deesis/columns-and-capitals-of-hagia-sophia.html |access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref>

== Lifted monoliths ==
[[File:Alexander Column erection.jpg|thumb|[[Alexander Column]]'s erection on the [[Palace Square]] in [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russia]] (1832)]]
[[File:Concorde Obelix (5).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Luxor Obelisk]]'s erection on the [[Place de la Concorde]], [[Paris]] (1836)]]

This section includes monoliths that were quarried, moved and lifted.

=== Erected in upright position ===
Monoliths known to have been lifted into an upright position:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1px; border:1px solid #ccc;"
|-  style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" "
! Weight
! Name/Site
! Type
! Location
! Builder
! Comment
|-
| {{Sort|0600|600 t}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kolonna.e812.ru/construction/installation.html|title=Установка колонны \ Александровская колонна|access-date=2012-12-16|archive-date=2015-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518081915/http://kolonna.e812.ru/construction/installation.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| [[Alexander Column]]
| Column
| [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russia]]
| [[Russian Empire]]
| Lifted in upright position in 1832
|-
| {{Sort|0455|455 t}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/raising/rome.html|title=NOVA Online – Mysteries of the Nile – A World of Obelisks: Rome|website=www.pbs.org|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref>
| [[Lateran Obelisk]] and [[Obelisk of Theodosius]]
| Pair of [[Obelisk]]s
| [[Rome]], [[Italy]] & [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]
| [[Thutmose III]]
| Lifted in upright position originally in 15th century BC as a pair outside the temple of Amun at [[Karnak|Karnak, Thebes]]; both subsequently shipped to Alexandria in the 4th century AD – one then shipped to Rome and erected in 357 AD by [[Constantius II]] and the other to Constantinople and installed in 390 AD by [[Theodosius I]]. Both partly broken, now 32.18m (Rome) and 19.6m (Istanbul) high.
|-
| {{Sort|0361|361 t}}<ref name="Lancaster 1999, 428">{{harvnb|Lancaster|1999|p=428}}</ref>
| [[List of obelisks in Rome|Vatican Obelisk]]
| [[Obelisk]]
| [[St. Peter's Square]], [[Vatican City]]
| [[Ancient Egypt]]
| Removed to Rome in ancient imperial times and re-erected. Relocated in an upright position by [[Domenico Fontana]] in 1586 for [[Pope Sixtus V]].
|-
| 285 t<ref>{{harnvb|Adam|1977|pp=50f.}}</ref>
| [[Pompey's Pillar (column)|Pompey's Pillar]]
| Column
| [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]]
| [[Diocletian]]
| Column shaft 20.75 m long, of pink granite (''lapis syeneites'') quarried in Aswan. Erected 298–303 AD and crowned with a grey granite Corinthian capital and 7 m-tall statue in porphyry.
|-
| {{Sort|0250|250 t}} 
| [[Luxor Obelisk]]
| [[Obelisk]]
| [[Paris]], [[France]]
| [[Louis-Philippe I]] 
| Relocated and lifted in upright position by [[Apollinaire Lebas]] in 1836
|-
| 170 tons & 160 tons
| [[King Ezana's Stele]] the [[Obelisk of Axum]]
| Stelae
| [[Axum]], [[Ethiopia]]
| [[Kingdom of Axum]] – [[Ezana of Axum]] and before.
| The stelae were moved about {{convert|2.6|mi|km}} from their quarries.{{Sfn|Scarre|1999|pp=281–285}} They were the largest Axumite stelae to survive installation; larger attempts failed. The "Obelisk" of Axum was removed from a standing position in 1937, cut into five pieces, and taken to Rome to be re-erected. It was again set up in Ethiopia at its original location in 2005.
|}

=== Lifted clear off the ground ===
Monoliths that have been placed on a towering structure:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1px; border:1px solid #ccc;"
|-  style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" "
! Weight
! Height of the tower
! Name/Site
! Type
! Location
! Builder
! Comment
|-
| |80 t<ref>{{cite web|url=http://121.242.207.115/asi.nic.in/chola-temple-brhadisvara|title=Great Living Chola Temples|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=2019-01-09|archive-date=2019-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414195207/http://121.242.207.115/asi.nic.in/chola-temple-brhadisvara/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| {{0|~}}66 m ([[Vimana]])
| [[Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur|Brihadisvara Temple]]
| [[Amalaka]] block 
| [[Thanjavur]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| [[Chola Empire]] (1010 AD)
| Block of [[granite]], a square of 7.8 m
|-
| 25 t<ref>{{cite book |last=S.R. Balasubrahmanyam |date=1975 |title=Middle Chola Temples |publisher=Thomson Press |isbn=978-9060236079 }}</ref>
| {{0|~}}66 m ([[Vimana]])
| [[Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur|Brihadisvara Temple]]
| Khapuri block 
| [[Thanjavur]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| [[Chola Empire]] (1010 AD)
| Cupolic [[granite]] dome
|-
|}

Monoliths known or assumed to have been lifted clear off the ground by [[Crane (machine)|cranes]] into their position:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1px; border:1px solid #ccc;"
|-  style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" "
! Weight
! Height
! Name/Site
! Type
! Location
! Builder
! Comment
|-
| 230 t<ref name="Heidenreich 1971 63"/>
| ~15 m
| [[Mausoleum of Theodoric]] 
| Roof slab 
| [[Ravenna]], [[Italy]]
| [[Ostrogothic Kingdom]]
|-
| {{Sort|1000|108 t}}<ref name="Coulton 1974, 19">{{harvnb|Coulton|1974|p=19}}</ref>
| {{0|~}}19 m
| [[Temple of Jupiter (Roman Heliopolis)|Jupiter temple]]
| [[Cornice]] block
| [[Heliopolis of Phoenicia|Baalbek]], [[Lebanon]]
| [[Roman Empire]]
|-
| {{0|1}}{{Sort|0600|63 t}}<ref name="Coulton 1974, 19"/>
| {{0|~}}19 m
| [[Temple of Jupiter (Roman Heliopolis)|Jupiter temple]]
| [[Architrave]]-[[frieze]] block 
| [[Baalbek]], [[Lebanon]]
| [[Roman Empire]]
|-
| {{0|1}}{{Sort|5330|53.3 t}}<ref name="Lancaster 1999, 419, 426">{{harvnb|Lancaster|1999|pp=419, 426}}</ref>
| ~34 m
| [[Trajan's Column]] 
| [[Capital (architecture)|Capital]] block 
| [[Rome]], [[Italy]]
| [[Roman Empire]]
| Dedicated in 113 AD
|-

|}
Roman column monuments like [[Trajan's Column]], though not often themselves monolithic, were built using very large sculpted stone blocks, stacked atop one another using cranes and [[Lewis (lifting appliance)|lewises]]. The capital block of the column was usually even larger and heavier than the column drums. The columns of [[Column of Marcus Aurelius|Marcus Aurelius]], [[Column of Antoninus Pius|Antoninus Pius]], and [[Column of Constantine|Constantine]], and the lost columns of [[Column of Theodosius|Theodosius]], [[Column of Arcadius|Arcadius]], and [[Column of Leo|Leo]] were all constructed in this way, on monumental pedestals and crowned with colossal statues. A few were monoliths, including the [[Pompey's Pillar (column)|Column of Diocletian in Alexandria]], called "Pompey's Pillar", the "[[Column of the Goths]]" and the Column of [[Column of Marcian|Marcian]] in Constantinople, and the lost [[Column of Antoninus Pius]] in Rome.

== List of efforts to move and install stones ==

These are listed with the largest experiments first; for additional details of most experiments see related pages.

*Marinos Carburis, a Greek lieutenant-colonel in the Russian Army, organized the move of an enormous boulder called the Thunder Stone (Russian, Гром-Камень) from the Gulf of Finland in 1768 to [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russia]] for the purpose of using it as a pedestal for the [[Bronze Horseman#Moving the Thunder Stone|Bronze Horseman]] statue. The mass of the Thunder Stone has been estimated to be around 1500 tons. This was done by rolling it on bronze ball bearings on a track. It took an estimated 400 men nine months to move it.<ref>[http://cnum.cnam.fr/CGI/fpage.cgi?4KY28.19/351/100/432/0/0 "(French) Transport du piédestal de la statue de Pierre le Grand] ''La Nature'' magazine, second semester 1882. http://cnum.cnam.fr/CGI/fpage.cgi?4KY28.19/351/100/432/0/0. Retrieved 22 April 2007.</ref>
*In 1997, Julian Richards teamed up with Mark Witby and Roger Hopkins to conduct several experiments to replicate the construction at [[Theories about Stonehenge#Construction techniques and design|Stonehenge]] for NOVA's ''Secrets of Lost Empires'' mini-series. They initially failed to tow a 40-ton monolith with 130 men but after adding additional men towing as well as some men using levers to prod the megalith forward, they succeeded in inching it forward a small distance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2403stone.html |title=NOVA &#124; Transcripts &#124; Secrets of Lost Empires &#124; Stonehenge |publisher=PBS |date=11 February 1997 |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref>
*Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner teamed up with a NOVA crew to conduct an [[Obelisk#Obelisk-erecting experiments|obelisk-erecting experiment]]; they successfully erected a 25-ton obelisk in 1999. They also managed to tow it a short distance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/dispatches/990827.html |title=NOVA Online &#124; Mysteries of the Nile &#124; August 27, 1999: The Third Attempt |publisher=Pbs.org |date=27 August 1999 |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/dispatches/990314.html |title=NOVA Online &#124; Mysteries of the Nile &#124; March 14, 1999: Pulling Together |publisher=Pbs.org |date=14 March 1999 |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref><ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: ''Ramses II: Magnificence on the Nile'' (1993) pp. 56–57 {{ISBN?}}</ref>
*[[Thor Heyerdahl]] organized an effort to pull a 10-ton [[Moai]] on a sledge with a group of 180 men. This effort used 18 men per ton. He also conducted an experiment to erect a 10-ton Moai successfully. This experiment also shows the same methods could be used to lift a megalith of that size onto a sledge; most other experiments to move them on sledges failed to explain how they got them on the sledge, and one organized by Jo Anne Van Tilburg, even showed them using a crane to get it on the sledge. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/easter/move/past.html |title=NOVA Online &#124; Secrets of Easter Island &#124; Past Attempts |publisher=Pbs.org |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref><ref>Heyerdahl, Thor ''Aku-Aku; The 1958 Expedition to Easter Island''.</ref><ref>Heyerdahl, Thor. ''Easter Island – A Mystery Solved''. 1988. {{ISBN|951-30-8952-5}}</ref>
*Charles Love experimented with a 10-ton replica of a Moai on [[Easter Island]]. His first experiment found rocking the statue to walk it was too unstable over more than a few hundred yards. He then found that by placing the statue upright on two sled runners atop log rollers, 25 men were able to move the statue {{convert|150|ft|m}} in two minutes. This effort used 2.5 men per ton.<ref>John Flenley and Paul G. Bahn (2003). ''The Enigmas of Easter Island: Island on the Edge'', p. 150. {{ISBN|0-19-280340-9}}</ref>
*[[Austen Henry Layard]] organized an effort to transport two 10-ton colossal statues of a winged lion and a winged bull with a group of 300 men in 1847. He loaded them on a wheeled cart and towed them from [[Nimrud]] to the river and loaded on a barge, where it was sent to London. This effort used 30 men per ton.<ref name="Mesopotamia 1995 pp. 112–121">Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Time Life Lost Civilizations series: ''Mesopotamia: The Mighty Kings''. (1995) pp. 112–121 {{ISBN?}}</ref>
*[[Paul Emile Botta]] and Victor Place attempted to move two additional 30-ton colossi to Paris from [[Khorsabad]] in 1853. To facilitate their shipment to Paris, they were sawn in pieces, but were still too heavy for the methods employed. One of the pieces fell into the [[Tigris|Tigris River]], never to be retrieved. The other made it to Paris.<ref name="Mesopotamia 1995 pp. 112–121"/>
*[[Giovanni Battista Belzoni]] organized an effort to pull a 7.5-ton fragment of a statue of Ramses on rollers with a group of 130 men in 1815. This statue was towed to the river and loaded on a barge, where it was sent to London. Progress increased with practice as they went along. This effort used 17 or 18 men per ton.<ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: ''Ramses II: Magnificence on the Nile'' (1993) pp. 47–48 {{ISBN?}}</ref>
*Henri Chevrier organized an effort to pull a 6-ton block on a sledge with a group of six men. This effort used 1 man per ton.<ref>Edwards, Dr. I.E.S.: ''The Pyramids of Egypt 1986/1947'' pp. 273–274</ref> Other reports claim that Chevier's experiment required 3 men per ton.<ref>Lehner, Mark ''The Complete Pyramids'', London: Thames and Hudson (1997) p. 224 {{ISBN|0-500-05084-8}}.</ref>
*[[Josh Bernstein]] and [[Julian C. Richards|Julian Richards]] organized an effort to pull a 2-ton stone on wooden tracks with a group of about 16 men. This effort used 8 men per ton.<ref>Josh Bernstein: ''Digging for the Truth'' pp. 133–135 book based on History Channel series {{ISBN?}}</ref>
*[[Mark Lehner]] and NOVA organized an experiment to tow stones and to build a pyramid 9 meters wide by 9 meters deep by 6 meters high. They were able to tow a 2-ton block on a sledge across wood tracks with 12 to 20 men. This effort used 6 to 10 men per ton. The pyramid was 54 cubic meters total estimated weight 135 tons. It was built out of 186 stones. The average weight of each stone was almost {{convert|1500|lb|abbr=on}} (.75 tons). They found that four or five men could use levers to flip stones less than a ton and roll them to transport them. 44 men took 22 days to complete the pyramid, including the carving of the stones. However, they used iron to carve the stones, which was not widely used in Ancient Egypt; copper was typically used. They also used a modern front end loader to accelerate the work on the lower courses. They were unable to use the front end loader to install the capstone, since it was too high; they had to use levers to raise it to {{convert|20|ft|m}}.<ref>Lehner, Mark ''The Complete Pyramids'', London: Thames and Hudson (1997) pp. 202–225 {{ISBN|0-500-05084-8}}.</ref>
*In a 2001 exercise, an attempt was made to transport a large stone along a land and sea route from Wales to [[Stonehenge]]. Volunteers pulled it for some miles (with great difficulty) on a wooden sledge over land, using modern roads and low-friction netting to assist sliding, but once transferred to a replica prehistoric boat, the stone sank in [[Milford Haven]] before it even reached the rough seas of the [[Bristol Channel]].<ref>[[Theories about Stonehenge]]</ref>
*Roger Hopkins and Vince Lee both theorized about how the megalithic stones were moved at [[Baalbek#Theories about the Trilithon and other megaliths|Baalbek; these theories involved either towing them or flipping them.]]<ref name="ReferenceC">History Channel "Mega Movers: Ancient Mystery Moves"</ref>
*Vince Lee participated in experiments to test his theories about [[Sacsayhuamán#Theories about construction of walls|how the walls of Sacsayhuamán were built.]]<ref name="ReferenceC"/>

== See also ==
* [[List of colossal sculptures in situ|List of colossal sculpture ''in situ'']]
* [[List of megaliths]]
* [[Rock-cut architecture]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Sources ==
*{{Citation
 | last = Adam
 | first = Jean-Pierre 
 | title = À propos du trilithon de Baalbek: Le transport et la mise en oeuvre des mégalithes
 | journal = Syria
 | volume = 54
 | issue = 1/2
 | year = 1977
 | pages = 31–63
 | doi=10.3406/syria.1977.6623
}}
*{{Citation
 | last = Coulton  
 | first = J. J. 
 | title = Lifting in Early Greek Architecture
 | journal = [[The Journal of Hellenic Studies]]
 | volume = 94 
 | year = 1974 
 | pages = 1–19
 | doi=10.2307/630416
| jstor = 630416 
 | s2cid = 162973494 
 }}
*{{Citation
 | last1 = Heidenreich
 | first1 = Robert
 | last2 = Johannes
 | first2 = Heinz
 | title = Das Grabmal Theoderichs zu Ravenna
 | place = Wiesbaden
 | publisher = Franz Steiner
 | year = 1971
}}
*{{Citation
 | last1 = Klemm 
 | first1 = Rosemarie
 | last2 = Klemm 
 | first2 = Dietrich D.
 | title = Steine und Steinbrüche im Alten Ägypten
 | publisher = Springer
 | place = Berlin
 | year = 1993
 | isbn = 3-540-54685-5
}}
*{{Citation
 | last = Lancaster
 | first = Lynne 
 | title = Building Trajan's Column
 | journal = [[American Journal of Archaeology]]
 | volume = 103
 | issue = 3
 | year = 1999
 | pages = 419–439
 | doi=10.2307/506969
| jstor = 506969 
 | s2cid = 192986322 
 }}
*{{Citation
 | last = Maxfield
 | first = Valerie A.
 | editor1-last = Mattingly 
 | editor1-first = David J.
 | editor2-last = Salmon
 | editor2-first = John 
 | contribution = Stone Quarrying in the Eastern Desert with Particular Reference to Mons Claudianus and Mons Porphyrites
 | title = Economies Beyond Agriculture in the Classical World
 | series = Leicester-Nottingham Studies in Ancient Society
 | volume = 9
 | year = 2001
 | publisher = Routledge
 | location = London
 | isbn = 0-415-21253-7
 | pages = 143–170
}}
*{{Citation
 | last = Ruprechtsberger
 | first = Erwin M.
 | title = Vom Steinbruch zum Jupitertempel von Heliopolis/Baalbek (Libanon)
 | journal = Linzer Archäologische Forschungen
 | volume = 30
 | pages = 7–56
 | year = 1999
}}
*{{Citation
 | last = Scaife
 | first = C. H. O.
 | title = The Origin of Some Pantheon Columns
 | journal = The Journal of Roman Studies
 | volume = 43
 | issue = 1–2
 | page = 37
 | year = 1953
 | doi=10.2307/297777
| jstor = 297777
 | s2cid = 161273729
 }}
*{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/theseventywondersoftheancientworld/ |title=The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built |publisher=Thames & Hudson |year=1999 |isbn=978-0500050965 |editor-last=Scarre |editor-first=Chris |page=}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Largest monoliths in the world}}
[[Category:Megalithic monuments|Monoliths]]
[[Category:Monoliths|*]]
[[Category:Archaeology-related lists|Monoliths]]
[[Category:Lists by size|Monoliths]]
[[Category:Lists of technological superlatives|Monolith]]