Traditionelle Steintechniken – Steinkultur

Abstract

Traditonal Stone Techniques - Stone Culture - Research on stone work and its products is sharply divided into the ethnological approach, into archaic techniques and the archaeological and art historical study of the products. In this study the author draws attention to the common features of the problem, drawing most of his examples from villages in the southern foothills of the Bükk Mountains. He points out that in this region of volcanic tuff, stone quarrying and stone carving were among the basic skills that could be put to good use. Most of the work, even work requiring considerable skill, on the construction and stone carving projects of the late 18th century in the Baroque town of Eger (Heves County, Northern Hungary) was done by peasant stone carvers of the region under the direction of specialists. The author also draws attention to the difficulties of dating structures carved in rock and stone carvings.