Stone

Stone

Stone, or rock, is any solid material composed of a mass of geological minerals. Due to its hardness, it became a common building material, resource, and trade good throughout human history. While some small stones can be used for buildings, often times a special type of mine known as a quarry is built to facilitate the removal of large building materials. Those working with stone are commonly called stonemasons.

History

In the 5th century BCE, stone was commonly quarried to build houses, statues, and temples such as the Akropolis of Athens. Given Egypt's climate and the deserts ruling the landscape, stone was a common commodity used to build large temples and even the Pyramids. In Rome, people used stone to engineer massive aqueducts and impressive features such as the Colosseum.

Throughout the medieval era, stone was a valuable resource. In the early Middle Ages, the Irish used stone to build Ringforts. Stones helped form defensive walls and eventually castles such as Alamut. ^{[citation needed]} During the Seven Years War, stone continued to be traded and was even used by Templars to renovate buildings throughout New York.

Behind the scenes

Stone is used as a crafting material across several Assassin's Creed games.