Things like this were destroyed by lightning occasionally during Roman times. Lightening rods now protect most structures nowadays.
Climbing near the summit of a mountain in New Hampshire, I sat down to rest before tackling the next (and tough) two hundred feet.
Looking at a ten foot depression at my feet, I was astonished to see SAND near the summit of this mountain.
A geologist would tell me THAT was a function of millions of years of lightning strikes...
Back then they didn't recognize the need for good arch support.