Testing Time: The Constant Wear On Stairs

The stone and other materials used to create steps are subject to constant, long-term wear, and the wear can be uneven. For example, extremely old temples and churches may have stairs in which the center of the steps has been worn down more than their edges, and the treads no longer have a level top but can appear to be bowed. Due to the nature of such structures, the buildings tend to have been inhabited by people over a very long period, but the presence of people at a particular site often predates the construction of buildings. This can make it difficult to accurately determine the date a structure was constructed. The situation is further complicated when construction on a structure occurs over a very long time, renovations have been made, and new parts to the structure have been added over time.