The Temple of Bacchus at Baalbek Lebanon

The gigantic stones used in the megalithic construction

Baalbek - Temple of Bacchus

This is the Temple of Bacchus at Baalbek (also known as Heliopolis in Roman times) and was built by the Romans. It is a World Heritage site. The temple was commissioned by Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and designed by an unknown roman architect and built close to the courtyard in front of the larger temple of Jupiter-Baal. Archeologists generally consider the period of construction to be between 150 AD to 250 AD.

Baalbek - Stone of the Pregnant Woman

This is the Stone of the Pregnant Woman and lies in a nearby quarry only 900 meters from the Heliopolis. There are multiple stones of similar size in the quarry. According to calculations this stone weighs approximately 1000 tons. To say the stone is gigantic is an understatement. This stone was considered the largest carved stone ever discovered until a new larger carved stone was uncovered just below this stone. The new larger stone is estimated to weigh 1600 tons (3 million 2 hundred thousand pounds - 3,200,000 lbs). The sheer size of these stones is astounding and it is practically inconceivable as to how they were transported from one location to another considering that we are only capable of moving stones that weigh approximately 300 - 400 tons at the present time. 

Baalbek - Newly discovered 1600 ton carved stone below the Stone of the Pregnant Woman

When the larger stone was discovered, it was jokingly stated that "the Stone of the Pregnant Woman has given birth!"

Check out the following article on ancient-origins.net for more information 
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Well known is the platform on which the Roman Temple of Jupiter stands. The image below displays the famous Trilithon Stones of Baalbek. Each stone weighs in excess of an estimated 800 tons each.

Baalbek - Trilithon Stones outlined in red frames

Baalbek - Trilithon platform with man for size reference

These are massive stones that appear to be older than the construction of the roman Temple of Jupiter that rests upon this platform. The weathering on the stones is a tell tale sign that there are multiple periods of construction on this site. The massive trilithon stones and the stones below them seem to be more weathered than the roman construction above. Also, the stones that are most weathered appear to be constructed with a greater precision. This is counter-intuitive to what one would expect to see at any archaeological site. It doesn't make sense that the older construction would have better precision than the newer construction, but that is what is found at this site. This leads one to ask who were the builders of this older site? The Ancient Builders of this older construction certainly seemed to be in possession of a knowledge that the Romans lacked. Specifically, how to carve and move the largest known stones on the planet and fit them together with a precision that we would have difficulty reproducing today, let alone in Roman times.