The archaeological site of Mitla is famous for its megalithic stonework and architecture. Stones weighing up to 50 tons were employed for the construction of the buildings of Mitla. In 1992, a survey of the ancient quarries around Mitla revealed what could be the largest quarried stone block in the entire American continent. Measuring over 12 meters long, this huge unfinished lintel would have weighed over 350 tons.
Satellite pictures show what could be more unfinished lintels at a new quarry site in the mountains to the Northeast of Mitla. Follow us as we explore this new ancient quarry and try to learn more about how these giant stones were extracted and transported without the use of the wheel or any metal tools.
Sources:
- Saville, Marshall H. (1909). Cruciform structures of Mitla and vicinity, Putnam Anniversary Volume, 1909.
- Robles García, Nelly M. (1994). Las Canteras de Mitla, Vanderbilt University Publications in Anthropology, 47, 1994, Nashville, TN.
- Robles García, Nelly M. (2016). Mitla: Su Desarrollo e Importancia Regional. Fondo de Cultura Económica, Colegio de México.
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