ONE STONE AT A TIME

ASEE Prism, Nov 2004 by Grose, Thomas K

STRUCTURES

AUGUST'S Olympic Games in Athens put the spotlight back on the country where the majestic sporting event began. The ancient Panhellenic Games were the forerunner to the modern Olympics. And one of the four sites used for those games was Ancient Nemea, about 80 miles from Athens, where once stood the Temple of Zeus, built in 330 B.C. After 2,300 years, only three of the temple's columns were still standing: two that were part of the entrance, and one of the 32 columns that formed the peristyle. Two more of the peristyle columns were rebuilt in 2002, part of a reconstruction effort begun by University of CaliforniaBerkeley classics professor Stephen Miller. And now, under the direction of Berkeley professor of structural engineering, Nicos Makris, four more columns are being pieced together. Eventually, all 32 columns may be rebuilt. "That is our dream," Makris says. It's a realistic one. More than 70 percent of the ancient building material remains in-situ. Researchers believe that 700 years after it was built, early Christians sacked the temple and used its limestone to build a nearby basilica. The cylindrical columns were of no use to the church-builders, but were likely demolished to enable better access to the temple itself.

Each 42-foot column comprises 13, 2.5-ton "drums." Makris has done tests on the columns and believes they were made that way to help them withstand earthquakes. Columns constructed of joined pieces dissipate a lot of energy. And, indeed, the three columns that weren't destroyed by humans have remained erect in a quake-prone area for more than two millennia. Makris, meanwhile, marvels at the precision engineering and craftsmanship of the ancient builders. "It's humbling," he admits. The tolerances of the joints are within 1/32 of an inch, a standard of accuracy one would find in a modern aircraft machine shop. -TG