If you look at all complex of Sigiriya as a whole, the first thing that catches your eye - a huge number of brickwork. It is everywhere it is so much that you can build a small neighborhood. In connection with what appears first reasonable question, how did they deliver all of this bricks on 200 meters of height.

Today, tourists with great difficulty overcome the protracted rising along convenient metal ladder, which, as everyone knows, was not here before. Therefore, there is nothing to reflect here and there are only two options either were built a giant scaffolds on which it had to cut down the surrounding forest, having made manufacture of boards or bricks were delivered by air, as though it might sound fantastic for the 14th century.

The task is complicated with another fact. The matter is that the weather data since 1895 show that wind and rain of two monsoons stopped field work in the area for 8 months of the year. February, March and April - the only months when construction work is possible in this region of the country.

But, builders of Lions Rock had no problems. For the sake of design they could lift on the mountain some more of cubic meters of brick and lay down such a graceful thing.

But, let us leave this question in peace and ask another one. What kind of palace is it, which all consists of massive brick walls and stairways, each of which is a complex engineering building. There is no a single dwelling.

For example, if we wanted today to build the same ladder as it is shown in the photo, we had to spend, at least, one year for research and design work. The main thing- it is impossible to do this without a computer. If everything to do by hand I will take not one year and it is only design.Do not forget this is only one of numerous stairs, complex walls and other structures. But it is believed that by dictation of King all was built "by eye" by servile Indians 600 years ago.

The most important, there is no structure, which had to serve all these beautiful stairs. Builders would surely tried there. Historians, as always say - "did not have time" everything here was prepared, and then something went wrong and all was abandoned and - "forgot for hundreds of years."

Due to the age of construction the next question arise- How could survive in such perfect condition masonry, which stood under the open sky for 600 years, in a place where almost 8 months of the year it rains?

The picture shows that a modern cement solution, which was used for repair of masonry, has already come into disrepair and the mother one is safe. Whatever anyone says, it is not cement solution but polymer.

Here is another example of how it is difficult for modern builders what happens with modern bricks, which lay on top of the masonry during few years.

Having clicked on the picture you can open large image in high resolution.

Photos by A.Weisser

The entire complex is carefully planned and is like a fortress. Actually, it is often called - the fortress of Sigiriya. Only it is not understandable for what is all this, for what to do such a titanic efforts. For what and from whom to defend?

The only function, which is still performed flawlessly – it is strengthen the top of the mountain and its adjacent areas. For hundreds of years nothing happened with the complex and you can be sure that nothing will not happen even without the help of restorers.

Nowhere was not washed away (and it is in the tropics), was not weathered (at this height) was not hit and not broken. Even the swimming pool was not clogged with dirt. Maybe it was the main purpose of the builders - to create an indestructible sign for orientation. Why not? The rock for this function is ideal, it is visible from afar and even from space. The mirror of pool Sigiriya, which always is filled with water, it is easy to orient. Knowing its size, or distance between the pools it is possible to get the height and your position in space.

This assumption confirms another fact. Sigiriya lies on the meridian of Teotihuacan with deviation of about ten kilometers, only on the other side of Earth about what repeatedly mentioned in the "Historical Geodesy". Also on this meridian lies sacred for all Buddhists Mount Kailash.

But, let us return back to the masonry. When you look at masonry of Sigiriya feeling that something is not so. Usually they do not do so. There is no dressing, front bricks and masonry everywhere is identical. Always and in all places brick thickness and width of seams is the same. The impression is that one master made the whole masonry in Sigiriya. Such does not happen.

But, the most important thing is the style in which the bricks are placed. It is clear that the bricks are placed layers, but the layers in Sigiriya look as if they were put as a ribbon, as if they were squeezed out of tube. Sometimes layers fill huge volumes. What is it like? Correctly. So prints 3D printer. All masonry of Sigiriya simply is typed with printer, which prints with bricks and at the same time filling seams with a special solution.

Stairs, in fact, are not ladders they are carriages on which went the printer, sealing the area around itself. It could print and on horizontal platform, but for the vertical movement it needed a carriage with a certain step - ladder, steps of which are the same everywhere. This explains the deadlock staircases and an area around the pool, which were previously prepared. Robot was put on this place, as a "zero" point and it began to print according to the program, and the master went to relax on the couch. Learn the modern builders.

But, the most interesting thing is that we are also in a step from this technology. Prototype of the printer is created already, which will print houses all goes to that. At the last Detroit Auto Show was printed a car. Look video where layers are the same as masonry in Sigiriya. Only we went in another way, without further ado, we try to cast houses and machines as well as it makes now a small 3D printer.

Here, likely, was used another technology, the bricks were laid first, and then the seals were filled with a solution. In any case, the question remains of material delivery, which certainly could be taken from the neighboring lakes, and with firing, it seems that the guys had no problems.

It is possible completely that in the cartridges immediately loaded only clay and water, and bricks were produced with printer itself. It can be explained, that the machine always knew what size of brick it put in particular case. This is especially clearly seen in the semi-circular masonry.

Those who built the Lion's Rock, all appearances, had no problems with the melting of stone, so it is easy to imagine a printer, which prints the boulders. Just change the drop size, that is all.

On this, perhaps, end up about masonry leaving everyone to make their own conclusions, and move on to one more machine - 3D sculptor, the result of work which we could see in the previous section in the form of a stone bench. But, this time, we will consider another masterpiece created with this machine - the Throne Room.

Все фотографии, использованные в этой статье, взяты с сайта А. В. Колтыпина dopotopa.com

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