Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón and 16th-Century Building Techniques: The Cimborio Vault of Archbishop Fonseca College Chapel in Salamanca (Spain)

Rodrigo Gil is one of the greatest masters of Spanish architecture. His brilliant career is partially explained by the efficiency of his design methods and his building techniques, especially evident in his ribbed vaults. If we examine the latter as a whole, the first aspect to be noted is undoubtedly their great formal complexity. However, the detailed study discloses that rather limited geometric and building techniques are hidden behind those elaborated patterns, aimed at simplifying and making the execution more economical. In order to bring some of these devices to light, one of his best-known vaults was selected for an in-depth study. The construction of a large-scale model of it also revealed some interesting features regarding the placing of the centerings and shorings during the erection.     

The ‘Triple R’ Approach on the Restoration of Archaeological Dry Stone City Walls: Procedures and Application to a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Oman

The ‘Triple R’ approach on the restoration of dry stone walls, using recognizable, reversible and respectful constructive techniques is here illustrated. A set of restoration procedures are explained and applied to a UNESCO World Heritage site in Al-Baleed (Salalah, Sultanate of Oman) in the ‘Land of Frankincense’. The procedures were adapted in an innovative way to take into account the climate features of the Indian Ocean area (specifically, the effects of the monsoon season). All the restoration procedures aimed at conserving the site’s original architectural features by using only suitable stones and materials found on-site. Specific procedures have been adopted to consolidate walls, gates, foundations and sloping surfaces. Simple on-site mechanical tests and evaluation methods have been developed for a quick assessment of the safety level of the restored walls to ease future archaeological excavations. The application is related to a waterfront side of the ancient city built around the ninth century and added to over the next five centuries. These restoration procedures allowed for further archaeological excavations with new findings is here described.     

试论西夏雕像石座

位于宁夏贺兰山东麓的西夏皇家陵园 ,蕴藏着丰富的石刻雕像 ,内容多样 ,形象生动。就其风貌而言 ,其中的雕像石座尤具特点 ,独树一帜。 2 0世纪 70年代以来 ,出自西夏帝王陵碑亭遗址中的雕像石座计有 1 1件 ,现介绍如次。一、石座形制西夏陵区中雕像石座的出土情况如下。9号陵 (原编 1号陵 )西碑亭石座 :1 972年发现 ,共出土 4件 (Ｌ9ＸＢＺ1～Ｚ4 )。现 2件藏宁夏博物馆 ,另 2件入藏西夏博物馆。此 4件石座均为赭色沙岩质 ,略呈圆柱状方体。长宽尺寸为 59厘米～ 6 2厘米 ,通高 6 2厘米～ 6 4厘米 ,其中底部“土衬”高7厘米～ 9厘米。造型基…