A close-up of the "V" groove worked into the face of the northern upright of the inter-apse portal.
A close-up of the "V" groove worked into the face of the northern
upright of the inter-apse portal.
These holes are formed by boring two
holes at an angle to the surface of stone so that they meet
within its thickness. A cord or rope can then be passed through the hole to
provide a very strong anchor point.
The holes are commonly found in the stones of doorways or passages and are
thought to have been used
to fasten a closure across these accesses. In major doorways, such as
temple entrances "V" grooves are
frequently found in combination with large opposing semi-circular depressions
which are thought to have been
used to socket wooden poles which spanned the doorway, further reinforcing the
closure.