Laboratory
Quarryville rock
Materials are chosen for use on the basis of their properties. Rocks are used in a variety of ways – in the making of buildings, statues, roofs, monuments and ornaments.
Here are some of the rocks we excavate at Quarryville.
- Limestone – some varieties are quite easy to cut; can be shaped into blocks; often used to make cement; some forms are white in colour
- Slate – black or green in colour; “water-proof”; formed in layers that can be split up easily; typical roofing material
- Granite – can be cut, carved and shaped; resists water and pollution; has a range of colours; the statue of the Egyptian pharaoh Rameses II was carved from blocks of dark-coloured granite
- Marble – dense; good range of colours; can be carved and shaped; strong; used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans to craft some of their finest buildings and statues; chess sets