Relatively speaking, much is known about the construction prowessof Roman engineers. The existence of structures such as amphitheaters like theColosseum in Rome, temples like the Pantheon, aqueducts like Pont du Gard,structures like Hadrian's Wall, and the remnants of the network of Roman roads thatcrisscrossed the Empire give mute testimony to both how big and how well theycould build. Similarly, the great churches of Florence, Chartres, Lincoln, Cologne anddozens of others give witness to the abilities of the cathedral builders of the MiddleAges. Although there are great gaps in our knowledge of the identities of the buildersand their methods, what we know is encyclopedic compared to our knowledge ofconstruction activities during Europe's "Dark Ages"-the seven centuries betweenthe fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the great churches. This review reveals,however, that "building big" continued through those years.
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