Archive · 6 Oct 2026
Ancient Ethiopian Builders Used Timber-Laced Masonry for Tall Structures
Researchers studied the remains of an old palace in Ethiopia.
It was built around 800 BCE, and it was very large.
A tall pillar and the remains of stairs suggest the palace had three floors.
The researchers say builders placed wooden beams inside stone walls.
This could help make the walls stronger.
Their computer simulations suggest this method might have supported buildings as tall as 19 floors.
Old writings and pictures have also been taken as clues that taller buildings may have existed.
The study does not show that this particular palace was 20 floors tall.
Researchers reanalysed the ruins of Grat Be’al Gibri, an ancient palace in Yeha, northern Ethiopia.
The palace is dated to around 800 BCE and is estimated to have covered about 196 by 196 feet.
A 33-foot entryway pillar and stair remains suggest the palace stood three stories tall.
The study describes a construction method that placed flat wooden beams within rubble masonry.
Simulations indicated that this building method could potentially support structures as tall as 19 stories; historical texts and images have also been cited as hints of buildings up to 20 stories.
- Who
- Researchers reanalysing the architecture of Grat Be’al Gibri.
- What
- A study examined the palace’s construction and reported that timber-laced masonry could potentially support buildings up to 19 stories in simulations.
- When
- The palace was built around 800 BCE; the study was published in the journal Heritage.
- Where
- Yeha, in the Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia.
- Why
- Researchers sought to understand how ancient builders constructed substantial buildings without reinforced concrete or structural steel beams.
- Site
- Grat Be’al Gibri, also written Grat Be’al Geubri
- Location
- Yeha, Tigray Region, northern Ethiopia
- Approximate date
- Around 800 BCE
- Estimated footprint
- Approximately 196 by 196 feet
- Entryway pillar
- Supposedly 33 feet tall
- Estimated palace height
- Stair remains and the pillar suggest three stories
- Construction method
- Flat wooden beams laid within rubble masonry
- Simulation result
- The study's simulations indicated buildings of up to 19 stories were possible