Roman soldiers built the 39-mile Antonine wall while occupying Scotland in 140 AD, using the sandstone slabs to commemorate battles. The wall demarcated the northernmost bounds of the Roman Empire.
The museum selected the mini spider crane because it could carefully lift the slabs though doorways.
The URW-094 mini spider crane, with a capacity of 0.995t at a 1.5m radius and maximum hook height of 5.6m is among the world’s smallest spider cranes, said GGR’s marketing coordinator Kerry Edwards.
It edged its 0.5m wide body into an elevator to go up to the third floor, where it lifted the 300kg stones on to plinths.
Professor David Gaimster, director oftThe Hunterian said, “This minicrane was the perfect choice for setting up our new exhibits in such a tight space. I’m sure the Romans who built the Antonine Wall would have loved to have one of these on their construction site!”
The URW-094 has been used in the past for restoring buildings listed as historic by the Historic Building and Monuments Commission for England.
