Of the Roman quarries to be found around Tarragona, the most spectacular is that of El Mèdol, near the ancient Via Augusta, about nine kilometres north of Tarragona. The impressive stone needle preserved right in the centre of the workings is a memorial to the labours undertaken on this site. The many marks of the workmen's tools on the quarry walls testify to the process by which the huge stone blocks were extracted to be later carried away and cut or carved.