Rock Quarry

Vessagiri, Anuradhapura

The peck-marks in this hard, granitic rock were hollowed out laboriously by ancient hand-drills in a quarrying operation. These marks outline the shape of a beam. The next step would be to insert small wooden pegs into the holes. When wetted, the pegs would swell with enough force to actually split the rock. (Another example is Hampi, in India).