quarry

thumb|Carrara marble|A quarry at Carrara in [[Tuscany, Italy]] thumb|A Portland stone quarry on the [[Isle of Portland, England]] thumb|An abandoned construction aggregate quarry near [[Adelaide, South Australia]] thumb|An abandoned construction aggregate quarry with turquoise pond near [[Thouars, France]] thumb|right|An abandoned stone quarry in Kerala, India thumb|Stone quarry in Soignies, [[Hainaut (province), Belgium]] thumb|Matera quarry in [[Basilicata, Italy]] thumb|Donnerkuhle Quarry, near Hagen, Germany thumb|Prospect Hill (New South Wales)|Prospect Quarry gap in [[Sydney, Australia]] A quarry is a place where rock and earth materials—like limestone, granite, marble, sand, and gravel—are excavated. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to manage their safety risks and reduce their environmental impact.

==History== Stone industry is one of the oldest in the world. Creation of stone tools (microliths industry) in the region of South Africa has been dated to about 60,000–70,000 years ago. Granite and marble mining has existed as far back as ancient Egypt. Crushed stone was used extensively by the first great road building civilizations, such as ancient Greece and ancient Rome.