The Giant Stones of Baalbek
The temples of Baalbek rest on stone blocks so huge that some have claimed no ancient people could have moved them.
What was reported
Baalbek, in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, has some of the largest Roman temples ever built. The Temple of Jupiter stands on a platform that includes three enormous stone blocks, the 'trilithon', each weighing around 800 tonnes.
In the nearby quarry lie even bigger blocks, cut but never moved, including the Stone of the Pregnant Woman and another found in 2014, which may weigh more than 1,600 tonnes. They have become a favourite subject of books about ancient visitors from space.
Explanations offered
Archaeologists say the Romans quarried and moved the stones using levers, ramps, rollers and capstans worked by large teams. The blocks left in the quarry show the work in progress. Engineering studies suggest the methods were demanding but entirely possible.
- When
- Temples built 1st–3rd century CE
- Where
- Baalbek, Lebanon
- Witnesses
- Visitors, engineers and archaeologists
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.