Ancient block found in Baalbek, Lebanon

A 1,650 ton limestone block has been discovered in Baalbek, Lebanon by a team of archaeologists and scientists from the German Archaeological Institute. The stone quarry site is about a fourth of a mile from a complex of temples in the ancient city of Heliopolis. The block is very smooth which means it may have been transported and even used without ever being cut. Massive blocks like this were once used in the sanctuary of the Temple of Jupiter and was probably left in the quarry because it could have potentially been crackable during the trip to the temple. Now a new generation of young Lebanese archaeologists fight to make sure that the city’s complicated past isn’t stuck there forever. While there is a rush to build the city up, Roman ruins are being bulldozed and columns are being crushed into cement. A small army of 50 excavators and hundreds of workers are trying to outsmart the luxury condos and the office towers that are basically wiping away Beirut’s ancient remains. Read more about “Rebuilding Beirut” at Archive Magazine.