A conservation engineer is studying a stretch of the outermost wall of Vijayanagara. She notes that this wall links the hills surrounding the city. Its faces lean slightly inwards as they rise, and square or rectangular bastions jut out from it at intervals. Between the large stone blocks she finds no lime, mortar or any other cementing agent, yet the wall has stood for centuries. Behind the outer stones, the inner portion is filled with earth packed with rubble. She also reads the account of a fifteenth-century foreign visitor who was greatly impressed by these fortifications.
What held the stone blocks of this wall in place?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The blocks were cut wedge shaped
Option (1) The blocks were cut wedge shaped — Correct. No mortar was used anywhere. The stone blocks were wedge shaped, and this shape held them in place.
Option (2) Iron clamps were fixed between the blocks — Incorrect. Metal clamps are a joining method used in some stone buildings, but they were not used here. The shape of the blocks kept them in position.
Option (3) Wooden beams were laid through the wall at intervals — Incorrect. Timber beams are a way of tying some walls together. The Vijayanagara walls did not depend on them; the wedge shape of the stones did the work.
Option (4) The blocks were cut with tongues and grooves to lock together — Incorrect. Interlocking joints are a different way of fitting stones. The Vijayanagara blocks were wedge shaped, and this held them firm.
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