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Rocks and History

Rocks have also had a pronounced effect on the course of human history. Certainly the quest for gold, gemstones and salt provided much of the fuel for exploration and conquest. One can only imagine how the history of the world would have evolved were it not for the lust for Inca and Aztec gold on the part of the conquistadors.

The occurrence of certain rock-types in certain locations has effected the course of battles. For example, the diabase ridge at Gettysberg protected union forces and prevented confederate armies from taking advantage of early successes. Rocks commonly formed natural mountain barriers. The Appalachians, the Alps, and the Great Dividing Range in Australia are cases in point. Early settlements were hemmed in by these barricades, and communication across such barriers was restricted. 

Even the pioneering, frontier spirit of the people brave enough to penetrate these mountains was shaped, in part, by the rocky terrain. If the rocks weren’t already there to form a protective barrier, humans often decided to add them, as in the case of the Great Wall of China or Hadrian’s Wall in Britain. 

Rocks have commonly been used to guide wayfarers. An excellent Canadian example is the Inuit Inukshuk, a human-like figure that serves as a beacon in the desolate barren lands of the arctic. 

Not only have rocks drawn people into distant lands, and provided the guideposts along the route, but also rocks have been used to help keep time. One example of this application has already been mentioned, namely, Stonehenge. The circles at Stonehenge were apparently designed so that the sun’s rays would set directly over the heel stone if one stands in the circle’s centre in the evening of the spring or fall solstice. Additional examples are the sun clocks of the Anasazi people in S.W. United States, and even the World War I memorial in Melbourne Cathedral, Australia. 

Rocks have even been used for shelter as well as worship, like the Dolmens of Celtic lands. Here the sun shines through a hole in the cathedral ceiling to illuminate the word ‘love’ at about 11:00 a.m. each November 11th.

There are instances worldwide where homes, shelters and places of worship have been carved directly into the bedrock. For instance the amazing Lalibela rock-hewn churches in Ethiopia, the honeycomb caves of Cappadocia in Turkey, and the famous city of Petra in Jordan have all been at least partially carved out of solid rock.