Mining and transport of the building blocks - Selinunte

The building material for the buildings of Selinunte comes from the Cave of Cusa. This is the closest point in Selinunte where the calcarenite bed is compact and massive enough to release features as strikingly large as those of Temple G.

To cut out a block or part of a column, a channel of 45 to 65 cm was cut out around it. To loosen the block from the bottom , wedges were used that expanded with water .

From there the building elements had to be transported to the site. A common method was to use large wooden rollers over which the stones were rolled. But specially designed carts were also used to transport stones over roads. These carts often had large wooden wheels and were pulled by people, animals or sometimes even by wind.

Willem Vandenameele