From the Pyramids to The Taj Mahal: Why the World’s Ancient Monuments are Made of Stone
For thousands of years, natural stone has been a preferred building material for numerous reasons. It was one of the first construction materials ever used, and its use was never limited to just one geographical area, one culture, or one period of time. It’s the world’s most universal building material.
Ancient people quickly discovered the benefits of building with stone, a material that is still incredibly popular today. This is in part due to its wide variety of applications. From garden pathways and fountains to commercial construction for skyscrapers and everything in between, stone has earned its place as a time-tested, tried and true resource. Here are some of the most popular reasons why:
- Stone does more than withstand the test of time. In fact, many people would agree that stone actually looks better with age. It has an impressively long lifespan and as each year goes by, stone retains its natural beauty and sometimes even adds to it with reactions from the environment around it. People from long ago also realized that stone is resistant to pests, it doesn’t rot, and it’s also fireproof.
- Stone is a very easy material to care for. It requires very little maintenance or upkeep once it’s installed. You don’t need to finish it or paint it, and it’s also conveniently easy to clean. Even stone that is many decades old or older can be cleaned, restored, and polished to look like new, which are all qualities valued not only today, but during ancient times, as well.
- Stone is varied and unique, and it comes in many natural textures, patterns, and colors. It can also be resurfaced so that builders can have an unlimited number of options to match ambiance and style for just about any room or building. In addition, stone can be cut into just about any shape or size.
- Due to its high-quality nature, stone has long been connected with traits of prominence, elegance, and power. Once they acquired the knowledge and means to do so, ancient cultures almost always constructed the palaces of royalty from stone while the lower-income population often had homes made of materials far less durable including wood, mud, straw, and cloth.
- Ancient people also discovered that stone was readily available and needed no energy for manufacturing stone – only for processing. Stone is also very “green” and contains no chemicals, no substances for construction, and no pollutants.
With so many incredible traits that stone possesses, it’s no wonder why so many people from all over the globe across all periods of time have valued it so much. From durability and resistance to strength, low environmental impact, and everlasting beauty, the desirable qualities stone offers can’t be beat, regardless of whether you’re installing a new kitchen range hood or building the next Taj Mahal.
