Pine wood can resist thousands of pounds of tension without splintering

The Scots pine, or Pinus sylvestris, is an engineering marvel due to its anisotropic strength, which is five times higher along the grain than across it. This allows vertical beams to support immense weight, with a compressive modulus reaching 10,000 MPa longitudinally. In 33 AD, these properties allowed crucifixion crosses to endure Jerusalem's humidity for hours without splintering under the weight of a human body.