Carving & Cutting

Graffiti are typically created using a technique called pecking or pounding, by hitting the rock face with a blunt instrument, likely a rock, to chip away the desired shape.

This results in a textured surface on which you can often still see the individual points of impact.

Monumental inscriptions were carved in different ways than the pounding or pecking technique common for graffiti. A technique that takes more practice than the pounded inscriptions shown above, uses a sharp tool, like a chisel, and a hammering instrument to incise sharp lines into the rock.

Finally, some of the inscriptions were carved in relief. In this technique, the mason does not cut the letters into the rock but instead removes the negative space around the letters to make them stand out off the rock.