Pompeii: site reveals Roman construction methods – 03/25/2024 – Science

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient building site in Pompeii that sheds light on the construction techniques used by the Romans to make iconic structures like the Colosseum and the Pantheon. The announcement was made by the Italian Ministry of Culture this Monday (25).

The site was probably active until the eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, destroying Pompeii in southern Italy.

Researchers found working tools, stacked tiles, tuff bricks, and piles of lime and stones used to create walls.

The Romans had an original technique for making cement, according to the ministry, citing discoveries by archaeologists who worked with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The site of Pompeii, only rediscovered in the 16th century, has seen a recent increase in archaeological activity aimed at halting years of deterioration and neglect.

The concrete appears to have been made by “hot mixing”, in which quicklime was initially mixed with dry pozzolana, or pozzolanic ash, with water added only shortly before the walls were erected.

This meant that during the construction of the walls, the mixture of lime, pozzolana and stones was still hot due to a thermal reaction. This helped it dry more quickly, shortening the construction time of the structure.

Typically, quicklime is slaked in water long before it is used in construction.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii site, said the latest discovery “helps us understand many aspects of the great Roman Empire, including the use of concrete.”

“Without concrete, we would have neither the Colosseum, nor the Pantheon, nor the Baths of Caracalla,” he added.

Amphoras were also found, storage jars that were used to “quench” lime intended for plastering, as well as to store other tools, including lead weights used to build a perfectly vertical wall and iron hoes to prepare mortar and lime. of work.