Monolithic temples and churches, how?

Around the world, but most well known in India, Temples are not built of bricks or blocks, but painstakingly carved out of a single rock. Also caves like the Ajanta caves, dug into the mountains, were found abandoned only centuries ago.
Also in Ethiopia, we find the Church of St George another structure carved out of a single piece of rock, complete with interior finishing and all.

Can anyone please highlight some studies on dating and how they got the official age of these structures?
How can they have carved these with a hammer and a chisel?

These things are mind blowing!

there is no limits to what you can accomplish when you have lots and lots of disposable slaves!

But seriously S&F because i really want to learn more about this!
Rock-Hewn structures are very high on my "must see before i die" list.

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse
I understand the slaves carving on the outside, like the Church of St George in Ethiopia, they could all club the ground for 50 years or so to dig the body out (at least) so to speak, you know to get the shape sorted, that bit makes sense sure, would take for ever, but whatever right. But how about the internals? There is only enough room for one person to enter through those windows and doors, no matter how many slaves you have you are going to hit a very slow point from there on in. Completely blind in all direction around you, trying to carve a masterpiece from the inside of a window or the door? The whole place is hollowed out perfectly!

a reply to: Judgie

The simple answer is that there is no way to date something made of rock.

Of course, you can date organic matter found in said structures, any tool markings can be attributed to known tools and times the tools were used, and you can get approximate dates based on the architectural styles or carvings, but even then, you still can not be certain that the original structure was not carved many years/decades/centuries/millenia before the datable substances.

The Knights Templar are suspect in the construction of the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia. The others, dunno...

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Judgie

The simple answer is that there is no way to date something made of rock.

Of course, you can date organic matter found in said structures, any tool markings can be attributed to known tools and times the tools were used, and you can get approximate dates based on the architectural styles or carvings, but even then, you still can not be certain that the original structure was not carved many years/decades/centuries/millenia before the datable substances.

Don't forget the most obvious sources, inscriptions and historical texts.

a reply to: Judgie
I can't offer you studies or the technology for dating rocks....however, I truly am starting to believe that as a species, we were once greater than we are now. The technology we create and use today...cellphones, printing, cranes, airplanes, etc.. are just replacements for what we were once capable of with out it.

I know a lot of people will think I am crazy, but when you look at these caves, churches, pyramids, Easter Island, etc.. I know we couldn't do that today with our current technologies and knowledge. I think we need to face facts and admit that as a species, we have jumped the shark and are on a downward trend.

Here is an interisting english article about the belgian megalithic site of Weris.

I used to live in the middle of a landscape dotted by ancient Roman tombs but these structures are way older.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Right. It is nice when there are inscriptions, but that still doesn't prove those who inscribed on the walls actually built the structure (from a pure forensics point of view). That's like saying the kid that scratched "Your mom was here" or drew a picture on a picnic table built the table.

Historical text describing building the structures, though, does help immensely.

a reply to: theatreboy

Me too, in fact I think I know how to prove this theory to be correct. But there are no ends to the madness in what has already been discovered already isn't being seriously challenged.