>Do we still have access to all of the specialized knowledge that went into that building? E.g., stone masonry, wood carving, preparation of varnishes, etc.? I

>Do we still have access to all of the specialized knowledge that went into that building? E.g., stone masonry, wood carving, preparation of varnishes, etc.? It's not like we've stopped building things out of stone or carving and varnishing wood. The trouble is not building these structures. We can relatively easily and inexpensively build a new Notre Dame. The expense comes from restoring the old items and trying to seemlessly integrate replacements when absolutely necessary.