Tuesday, December 2, 2014

BERLIN, GERMANY—A limestone block weighing an estimated 1,650 tons has been discovered at the site of Baalbek by a team of Lebanese archaeologists and scientists from the German Archaeological Institute. The site, a stone quarry, is located about a quarter of a mile from a temple complex in the ancient city of Heliopolis. “The level of smoothness indicates the block was meant to be transported and used without being cut,” the German Archaeological Institute said in a statement reported by Discovery News. Such massive blocks were used in the sanctuary of the Temple of Jupiter. The block was perhaps left in the quarry because of a flaw that could have caused it to crack during the trip to the temple. To read more about discoveries in the region, see "Rebuilding Beirut."