Nidarosdomens steinbrudd: Byggingen av Kristkirken (1070-1100)

Slik kan Kristkirken i Nidaros ha sett ut omkring 1100 (rekonstruksjon av Øystein Ekroll og Karl-Fredrik Keller)

Slik kan Kristkirken i Nidaros ha sett ut omkring 1100. Grunnplanen til dagens Nidarosdom er stiplet. (rekonstruksjon av Øystein Ekroll og Karl-Fredrik Keller)

Denne historien er en liten del av min bok “Nidarosdomens grunnfjell” (2015). Les mer om boken her.

Tenk deg at du for nesten 1000 år siden er engelsk byggmester og har fått i oppdrag å reise en av Norges aller første steinkirker, Kristkirken i Nidaros. Hvordan i all verden skal du ta fatt på oppgaven så langt borte fra Europas steinbyggings-tradisjoner? Tømmer til stillas og takverk er ikke noe problem, ei heller jern til verktøy – her er lokal kunnskap helt på topp. Men stein? Riktignok er det stein overalt, men den er mest hard og skifrig; det er ingen myk kalkstein og ingen romerske ruiner du kan plyndre. Hva gjør du? Continue reading

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St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow – on a cold winter day 25 years ago

St. Basils Cathedral in January 1987

St. Basils Cathedral in January 1987

I’m getting thousands of my old slides scanned at the moment. Since I’m not doing it myself, I reckoned that the “post-production” and archiving would cost me a few hours’, perhaps a day’s work. I was utterly wrong. Continue reading

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With pickaxe into modern times II: Quarrying of Marés at the Balearic Islands

Screenshot from the film "Piedra de Marés" (Source: http://www.tu.tv/videos/menorca-la-piedra-de-mares)

Screenshot from the film “Piedra de Marés” (Source: Youtube)

As a follow-up of my two recent articles on traditional quarrying of sandstone and soapstone, here is an exciting film about manual extraction of Piedra de Marés at Menorca. Marés is a soft, yellowish biocalcarenite (calcareous sandstone), widely used since Prehistory and characterising the traditional architecture on the Balearic Islands. Read on and watch video…

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With pickaxe into modern times: Quarrying of Bernese sandstone (CH)

Was it like this that the quarrymen extracted Bernese sandstone?

Was it like this that the quarrymen extracted Bernese sandstone?

Even until the 1950s the quarrymen in Berne extracted their sandstone using pickaxes. They carved out trenches around the blocks to be removed, not unlike the way their colleagues did 5.000 years ago in ancient Egypt. Why so? Join me on a trip to the Sandsteinlehrpfad in Krauchthal and Wege zu Klee in Ostermundigen to find out – and to learn about Berner Sandstein. It was a most important stone in Switzerland, giving rise to historic quarry centres substantial on a European scale. Continue reading

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thanks to colleagues and partners for 2012 – and, in particular, to the thousands of visitors to my website.

Looking forward to 2012!

Per Storemyr

*

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“Steinriket Bømlo”: Nettsted om steinbrytning i 10.000 år

(10.000 years of quarrying at Bømlo / for Norwegian readers / English? Try Google Translator)
Slik kan det ha sett ut på Hespriholmen i steinalderen. Kilde: "Steinriket Bømlo"

Slik kan det ha sett ut på Hespriholmen i steinalderen. Kilde: "Steinriket Bømlo"

Her forleden kom jeg over et særs interessant nettsted, nemlig “Steinriket Bømlo” som forteller historien om utnyttelsen av stein på denne ytterst steinrike øya – ytterst i havgapet på Vestlandet. Naturligvis står to av Norges flotteste steinalderlokaliteter i forgrunnen: Øksebruddet på Hespriholmen og pilespissbruddet på Siggjo.

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Classic Cars, Castro’s Cuba: Conservation in practice

Cuba_Cars_01Slightly off-topic, but how Cubans skilfully care for their classic Plymouths, mFords, Buicks and Pontiacs may be a reminder for anyone dealing with heritage conservation. However, it is not necessarily out of love that the Cubans care for their cars, but of necessity. Will there now be an end to this conservation in practice? Continue reading

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Standing at the edge of the abyss: The castle ruin at Cartatscha in Graubünden (Switzerland)

At the edge of the abyss: the Cartatscha ruin by Trun in Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland

At the edge of the abyss: the Cartatscha ruin by Trun in Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland

Working as a conservation scientist I care for cultural heritage. My “problem” is that I’m also interested in the history of decay, including catastrophic events; just these phenomena that turn old masonry to rubble. But I’ve never seen it “live” (few have!) or just after it happened. Hence, on my visits to the medieval castle ruins in Surselva (Graubünden, Switzerland), deep down there is a secret wish that I may watch them falling down, crumbling to pieces or being taken by avalanches! Yet boldly rejecting to fulfil my desires is, for example, Cartatscha by Trun; at the very edge of the abyss the small tower should have fallen years ago. But this stout ruin with the region’s finest masonry has decided to live on. For how long? Continue reading

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International conference on millstone in Bergen – and the Hyllestad quarry landscape

Hyllestad millstones still in use

Hyllestad millstones still in use

Last week the Norwegian “millstone community” invited to an international conference in Bergen – “Seen through a millstone: Geology and archaeology of quarries and mills”. It included an excursion to the Hyllestad quarries where the participants got to know a local community that cares for the landscape and its millstone traditions in an impressive way. Key is the involvement of pupils. Continue reading

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The Mauerzahn at Grünenfels castle ruin (CH) revisited after massive snowfall

Top of the Mauerzahn (pinnacle) at Grünenfels castle ruin

Top of the Mauerzahn (pinnacle) at Grünenfels castle ruin

Ten days ago winter arrived in the Swiss Alps with massive snowfall. Subsequent temperature increase and intensive rainfall led to major floods, avalanches and destruction of infrastructure such as villages and roads. Such events sometimes also affect old buildings and ruins. How did the Mauerzahn (tall stone pinnacle) at Grünenfels castle ruin, which I have earlier written about, stand the test? Continue reading

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