The Pregnant Woman
About 1,000 tonnes.
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A colossal Roman block in an ancient quarry on the edge of Baalbek, about a kilometre from the temples: some 20.5 m long, 4 m wide and 4.3 m high, weighing an estimated 1,000 tonnes. The same quarry holds two even larger blocks, the «Stone of the South» at about 1,242 tonnes and the «Forgotten Stone», uncovered in 2014 and estimated at 1,650 tonnes, among the largest stones ever cut by human hands. They were probably meant for the Temple of Jupiter and never left the quarry. The quarry lies slightly higher than the temples, so the blocks never had to be lifted; they were probably moved on rollers along temporary earth ramps. Local stories explain the stone's name in several different ways. The quarry has been landscaped with paths, steps and boards explaining how the blocks were cut and moved, and entry is free, per visitor guides. Half an hour is enough, and it pairs easily with the temples on the same day.
About 1,000 tonnes.
About 1,650 tonnes.
How blocks moved.
Roman quarry, southern entrance to Baalbek
No one knows for sure. They were probably cut for the Temple of Jupiter and left in the quarry; some were never fully cut free of the bedrock.
