What historical techniques for stone carving have been lost or revived in modern times?

Stone carving, one of humanity's oldest art forms, has seen numerous techniques vanish and reemerge throughout history. Some methods were lost due to technological shifts, societal changes, or the secrecy of master artisans. However, modern sculptors and historians have successfully revived certain ancient practices.

Among the lost techniques is the precise method Egyptian artisans used for creating sunken relief carvings, which allowed hieroglyphics to endure millennia. The exact composition of their copper and stone tools, along with the polishing compounds that gave their sculptures a luminous finish, remains partially unknown. Similarly, the Greek and Roman practice of using bronze drills with abrasive sand to carve hard stones like granite has only been partially reconstructed through experimental archaeology.

Another forgotten skill is the medieval European technique for "double curvature carving" used in Gothic architecture, where stones were cut to interlock without mortar. The complex geometric knowledge required was often guild-protected and disappeared with the decline of cathedral construction. The Inuit method of carving intricate figures using only occasional strikes on specific sedimentary stones—a tradition that relied on generations of tactile knowledge—is also largely lost.

On the revived side, modern artisans have resurrected techniques like *pointing*, a 19th-century method using a mechanical device to accurately replicate plaster models in stone. The ancient Roman approach to *pitching* large blocks with broad chisels has been readopted for its efficiency. Additionally, contemporary sculptors now use traditional tools like tooth chisels and claw chisels to recreate textural effects found in Baroque sculptures.

Technological advancements like 3D scanning and robotic carving have paradoxically helped revive interest in hand-carving methods. While some techniques remain lost forever, the dedication of modern stonemasons ensures that many historical methods continue to inspire new generations.