Brought to Sardis in 1911 by the Howard Crosby Butler Expedition, this crane was used to lift and move fallen architectural blocks during excavation of the temple of Artemis from 1910 to 1914. Operated by hand, it could lift five tons, while column capitals weighed about two tons, and it was moved around the temple site on a narrow-gauge Decauville railroad track by a small locomotive. Made by Dorman Long of Middlesbrough, England, its cast- and wrought-iron parts were fastened entirely with bolts and rivets and assembled at Sardis, where stamped numbers on the parts served as guides for assemblage. It had two gears, a larger one for heavier loads and a smaller one for lighter loads, changed by moving the shaft from side to side. The weight of each block was balanced by a movable counterbalance mounted on rails and filled with stones or workmen.

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington