Basalt

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The Lion and Dog Stela from Tel Beth Shean. A good example of relief carving in basalt. Israel Museum.
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The Lion and Dog Stela from Tel Beth Shean. A good example of relief carving in basalt. Israel Museum.

Basalt (/ˈbæsɒlt, bəˈsɔːlt/) is a common, hard and strong, gray to black and extrusive volcanic (igneous) rock. Beyond its other qualities, basalt is normally fine-grained due to the rapid cooling of its constituent lava on the surface of the Earth, making it a good choice amongst stone types for carving reliefs and inscriptions.

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