Section of an entablature block from the Agora Gate.
The different stages of work which an entablature block would have gone through are visible on this part-finished example. The whole block would first have been roughly squared with the point (visible on the right), before finer roughing-out work was undertaken to define the basic shape of the entablature. This second stage of roughing-out is left in those areas which were meant to be carved with decoration (such as the frieze), while those areas that were to be left flat were worked further with the tooth and flat chisel (such as the cornice). At some point it was decided only to finish the bottom half of this entablature, probably because it was around a corner and so not very visible. This decision means that this block was left half-finished and so is revealing of the stages of earlier work which would normally have been erased during finishing.
