New research suggests that a “primitive lifting machine” was in use around 150 years prior to the appearance of cranes 2,500 years ago. This early lifting machine was capable of lifting ashlar blocks weighing between 440 to 880 pounds, according to an article in Gizmodo. It redirected force by using a rope that passed over a frame.
Grooves etched onto the bottom of stones provide evidence that these techniques were used to build structures like the Corinth and Isthmia temples. Alessandro Pierattini, from the University of Notre Dame, told Gizmodo that scholars believe the grooves served to attach the blocks to lifting machines, or for moving blocks in the quarry. The grooves also could have served a dual function, allowing the builders to both lift the blocks and position them tightly on the wall.
According to the article, Pierattini also claims this lifting machine was originally invented by the Corinthians who used the device to build ships, and lower stone coffins into deep pits.
Source: Gizmodo
