Carving from the now destroyed tomb of the Haterii family, originally located three miles outside Rome on the Via Labicana . The relief scultpure shows a crane being used to build a tomb which is decorated with busts of people already, or to be, buried inside. A dead person lies "in state" at the top.
Other sides of the tomb of the Haterii also have carvings of buildings, including the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus, suggesting that at least one of the Haterii was in the construction business.
Now in the Vatican Museum in Rome; as shown on the title-page of Stage 30.

Two men climb to the top of the crane's jib and attach a tree/branch/plant symbolising, as it still does today in many places, the completion of the building project.

Artist's impression of a Roman crane in action - it's helping to construct an aqueduct (the Aqua Claudia which strides over the older Aqua Marcia, both aqueducts taking water to Rome).

Here's a drawing of the just the crane.

Portrait, perhaps of Haterius, plaster cast in the Pushkin museum taken from the tomb of the Haterii family (the original is now in the Vatican Museum, Rome). Here's his wife.
And here's our Haterius on the cover of Book IV. I think he would have approved!

What is Architecture? What are the Classical Orders? Terrific interactive website on various aspects of ancient Greece. Watch the intro or skip it, then click "architecture" along the bottom for a fun learning experience.

Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles explained more fully; illustrated with ancient examples.

Another basic introduction, this site labelling a Roman temple, and illustrating major Roman architectural elements.

Superb, well illustrated site on many aspects of Roman building technology. Don't miss the sections on Roman Bridges and especially if you're looking for the Pont du Gard - Roman Aqueducts.

Short descriptions of Roman architecutral features and constructional techniques.

Temples were nearly always designed according to one of these layouts.

Vitruvius' recommendations for the design of Roman temples; for older surfers.

Page describing in some depth the "chorobates", a type of modern spirit-level used in measuring heights and gradients, and the "groma" used for acquiring right-angles and straight lines.

More images and info on the groma and the chorobates.

Starting with a Greek crane, click "right" to continue with this short illustrated history of early lifting devices.

Here's the Roman crane from Haterius' tomb again.

Reconstruction of a Roman crane in Bonn, Germany.

Lots of links to this building appear in Stage 8 in Book I, but this page relates to its construction. Choose 'Architecture', then 'The construction' from the menu at the top of the page.

Super, little introduction to one of the world's great buildings. Great photos.

3D cut-away ("axionometric") drawing of one of the greatest buildings ever built (scroll down and click to view).

How the inside of the Pantheon looks today... a 360-degree panorama.

Good, fact-filled article with emphasis on its construction.

Essay on the use of coloured marbles in the Pantheon. Includes some virtual reconstructions.

and click here for more photos.

Why have so many Roman buildings stood the test of time? Article on the secrets of Roman concrete.

Good, basic introduction to concrete.

Interesting article which includes a chemical analysis of Roman concrete and how it differs from normal plaster.