Editing Building material (section)

=== Stone or rock ===
{{see also|Rock (geology)#Building}}
Rock structures have existed for as long as history can recall. It is the longest-lasting building material available, and is usually readily available. There are many types of rock, with differing attributes that make them better or worse for particular uses. Rock is a very dense material so it gives a lot of protection; its main drawback as a building material is its weight and the difficulty of working it. Its [[energy density]] is both an advantage and disadvantage. Stone is hard to warm without consuming considerable energy but, once warm, its [[thermal mass]] means that can retain heat for useful periods of time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thermal mass |url=https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/thermal-mass |website=Your Home |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=2020-08-17}}</ref>

[[Dry-stone wall]]s and [[dry-stone hut|hut]]s have been built for as long as humans have put one stone on top of another. Eventually, different forms of [[mortar (masonry)|mortar]] were used to hold the stones together, [[cement]] being the most commonplace now.

The [[granite]]-strewn uplands of [[Dartmoor]] National Park, United Kingdom, for example, provided ample resources for early settlers. Circular huts were constructed from loose granite rocks throughout the [[Neolithic]] and early [[Bronze Age]], and the remains of an estimated 5,000 can still be seen today. Granite continued to be used throughout the [[Middle Ages|Medieval]] period (see [[Dartmoor longhouse]]) and into modern times. [[Slate]] is another stone type, commonly used as roofing material in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world where it is found.

[[Rock (geology)|Stone]] buildings can be seen in most major cities, and some civilizations built predominantly with stone, such as the Egyptian and Aztec [[pyramids]] and the structures of the [[Inca]] civilization.