Dry stone
The term tends not to be used for the many historic styles which used precisely-shaped stone, but did not use mortar, for example the Greek temple and Inca architecture.
In County Mayo, Ireland, an entire field system made from dry stone walls, since covered in peat, has been carbon-dated to 3800 BC.
[4] These are near contemporary with the, dry stone constructed, neolithic village of Skara Brae, and the Chambered cairn of Scotland.
[8][9] In Belize, the Mayan ruins at Lubaantun illustrate use of dry stone construction in architecture of the 8th and 9th centuries AD.
Such constructions are common where large stones are plentiful (for example, in The Burren) or conditions are too harsh for hedges capable of retaining livestock to be grown as reliable field boundaries.
Similar walls also are found in the Swiss–Italian border region, where they are often used to enclose the open space under large natural boulders or outcrops.
The higher-lying rock-rich fields and pastures in Bohemia's south-western border range of Šumava (e.g. around the mountain river of Vydra) are often lined by dry stone walls built of field-stones removed from the arable or cultural land.
Notable examples include the island of Baljenac, which has 23 kilometres (14 mi) of dry stone walls despite being only 14 hectares (35 acres) in area, and the vineyards of Primošten.
[15] In Peru in the 15th century AD, the Inca made use of otherwise unusable slopes by building dry stone walls to create terraces.
Their ashlar type construction in Machu Picchu uses the classic Inca architectural style of polished dry stone walls of regular shape.
In addition to gates, a wall may contain smaller purposely built gaps for the passage or control of wildlife and livestock such as sheep.
These dykes are principally found in locations with exceptionally high winds, where a solid wall might be at risk of being unsettled by the buffeting.
Different regions have made minor modifications to the general method of construction—sometimes because of limitations of building material available, but also to create a look that is distinctive for that area.
A nationally recognised certification scheme is operated in the UK by the Dry Stone Walling Association, with four grades from Initial to Master Craftsman.
When buildings are constructed using this method, the middle of the wall is generally filled with earth or sand in order to eliminate draughts.
Many of the dry-stone walls that exist today in Scotland can be dated to the 14th century or earlier when they were built to divide fields and retain livestock.
Dry stone retaining walls were once built in great numbers for agricultural terracing and also to carry paths, roads and railways.
[18] In northeastern Somalia, on the coastal plain 20 km (12 mi) to Aluula's east are found ruins of an ancient monument in a platform style.
[19] In Great Britain, Ireland, France and Switzerland, it is possible to find small dry stone structures built as signs, marking mountain paths or boundaries of owned land.
