1.

• What do you see in the puzzle?

           I see a stone castle with a big arch made as an entrance. The castle has two towers and is surrounded by a wall. There is also a fence that leads to the arch.

• What is the material used?

           Everything is made with stone, except the fence that seems to be made with wood.

• How many types of uses are given to the material?

           The material has been used tu build the structure of the castle and the arch at the entrance. Also to build a wall to guard the castle and mark the arch as an entrance.

2.

     Stones are a mass of hard mineral matter. Some kinds of stone I'm familiar with that are used in construction are  rubble, granite, marble, ashlar masonry, limestone and sandstone.

     The cheapest and simplest stone used is rubble, that consists in broken stones of any shape bpunded in mortar.

     The strongest and most suitable is ashlar masonry, wich is usually cutted in rectangular blocks, but it can also be cut very precisely into different shapes.

     The characteristics of stones as a constructive material are its durability, adaptability to sculpture and treatment, and the fact that it can be used in the building structure in its original state. It is difficult to adquire, transport and cut; and its weakness to bear tension also limits its use to beams, dintels and floor supports.

     Stone is used in the construction of monumental architecture, mainly in arches and monolithic supports like big columns and beams. It is also used because of its capacity to resist the deformation better than any bonding material.

     Stones have also been employed in the roofing of many ancient temples, it has been consistantly used since the stone age, and although nowadays stone has been replaced for cheaper materials, its is still used for its practical and expressive qualities.