5590 x 2921 px | 47,3 x 24,7 cm | 18,6 x 9,7 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
12. Februar 2012
Weitere Informationen:
Angkor Wat's foundation is made of laterite, a red, porous soil that has a high iron content. Laterite is found in hot and wet tropical environments such as Southeast Asia. At Angkor Wat, builders dug up the laterite and formed it into blocks or bricks, which dried when exposed to air. They also used laterite in building the temple's outer walls. Sandstone is the main building material for Angkor Wat's walls and towers. Researchers from Japan's Waseda University identified three types of sandstone based on color, texture, chemical composition and mineral content. The researchers found grey to yellow-brown sandstone, red sandstone and green graywacke, a hard sandstone. Water, weathering, bat droppings, trees, algae and lichens have damaged the stones. Beginning around 1113, slaves, masons, sculptors and other laborers spent 37 years erecting Angkor Wat. Workers cut sandstone from a nearby quarry, floated the blocks down the Siem Reap River and then dragged them ashore with ropes, rollers and winches. Workers smoothed the sandstone blocks and fitted them in place, sometimes using bronze clamps. In some areas of Angkor Wat, the stones are fitted so precisely that workers did not need mortar or fastenings.
