Signature garden
Reproductions of wooden building machines, among the most common of Roman technique, anticipate the future MusTER — Museum of Roman Building Techniques. They come from the exhibition “Building for the Gods: the construction site in the classical world” (Archaeological Park of Agrigento, 2022).
The reproductions illustrate the main lifting machines of the ancient building site: the large compound-pulley crane (the polyspastos described by Vitruvius), with its inclined mast and a system of blocks that multiplies force, driven by a double spoked-wheel windlass; the shear-legs (“capra”), the A-shaped frame with a pulley on top for vertical lifting; and the work trestle, a simple wooden support for handling beams and blocks. Loads were then hauled on sledges and rollers.
Gallery
