Show Notes
Why bury a Million nails?
The Romans used a wide variety of metals, both ferrous and non-ferrous.
Iron, lead, bronze, brass, tin and copper were all commonly used by the Romans.
For structural connections, plumbing, door handles, decorative elements or any other practical use, in or for the home, the Romans had a solution!
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Roman Metal Terms: Latin → English
Ferrum → Iron Plumbum → Lead Stannum → Tin Aes → Copper alloy (bronze or brass) Cuprum → Copper Cadmia → Zinc ore (used to make brass) Argentum → Silver Aurum → Gold Clavus → Nail Fibula → Fastener / clasp (sometimes a clamp) Fistula → Pipe (usually lead) Aes coronarium → Thin decorative bronze sheet Aerugo → Verdigris (green corrosion on copper alloys)
Note: The Romans did not separate “bronze” and “brass” the way we do today. Both were usually called aes — meaning copper alloy.
For students of archaeology, history, and art history — and for anyone interested in how ancient buildings actually came into being. North Africa and Western Asia are home to a multitude of Roman buildings. Some still used on a daily basis, others in ruins, but that's typically not the fault of the original builders. The fact that these still exist at all after 2,000 years or more is a testament to skill and creativity of the original builders.
There are some great Podcast which look at Roman politics, history, and architecture, however in this Podcast, we focus on Construction history, that being building materials, techniques and and the people who did the work!
From structures to frescos, we'll cover it all!
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