Polygonal masonry

Polygonal masonry consists of stones that have five or more face angles, in contrast to Ashlar blocks which have four rectangular ones.^[1]

The twelve-angled stone, Hatunrumiyoc street, Cusco, Peru

In Greece, Cyclopean masonry was the first type of polygonal masonry.^[2] To fit the stones properly to each other, masons would utilize strips of lead to form templates of the already laid blocks, which were then used to shape the to-be-adjoined ones.^[3]

Sites

Easter Island

Ahu Vinapú

• Ahu Vinapu

Finland

A part of the wall of the Bomarsund Fortress

• Bomarsund Fortress

Greece

Section of polygonal wall at Delphi

• Delphi
• Keramikos
• Nekromanteion

Italy

In Italy, polygonal masonry is particularly indicative of the region of Latium, but it occurs also in Etruria, Lucania, Samnium, and Umbria; scholars including Giuseppe Lugli have carried out studies of the technique.^[4][5] Some notable sites that have fortification walls built in this technique include Norba, Signia, Alatri, Boiano, Circeo, Cosa, Alba Fucens, Palestrina, and Terracina.^[6] The Porta Rosa of the ancient city of Velia employs a variant of the technique known as Lesbian masonry.^[1]

Japan

Shuri Castle, Naha

• Akō Castle
• Fushimi Castle
• Nakagusuku Castle
• Nijō Castle
• Odawara Castle
• Oka Castle
• Osaka Castle
• Shibata Castle
• Shuri Castle
• Uwajima Castle

Latvia

Daugavpils Fortress

• Daugavpils

Malta

• Ħaġar Qim
• Megalithic Temples of Malta

Peru

Sacsayhuamán, Cusco, Perú

• Chinchero
• Chullpa Towers
• Coricancha
• Inti Watana, Ayacucho

Pumacocha Archaeological site

• Ollantaytambo
• Raqch'i
• Saksaywaman
• Tambomachay
• Tarawasi
• Usnu
• Vilcabamba
• Vilcashuamán
• Wanuku Pampa
• Twelve-angled_stone

Portugal

• Quinta da Regaleira

Russia

• Königsberg Castle

Spain

• Castell d'Olèrdola

Turkey

• Hattusa

United Arab Emirates

• Hili Archaeological Park