Show Notes
This week, the Build Like A Roman Podcast episode is about fired clay, for bricks and roofs.
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The Episodes Translations:
Opus vittatum mixtum (listatum) = Alternating brick and stone courses
Opus mixtum= Combination of stone and brick facings
Opus testaceum = Concrete faced with brick/tiles
Opus vittatum / listatum = Banded tufa/brick
Opus latericium / testaceum = Brick‑faced concrete
Opus mixtum (reticulatum mixtum) = Mixed brick‑reticulate
Pedalis = One‑foot tile/brick
Sesquipedalis = 1½‑foot brick/tile
Bessalis = Two‑thirds brick/tile
Tegula = Flat pan tile
Imbrex = Cover tile
Later / laterculus = Thin wall tile
Lateres Crudi = Unfired bricks
Lateres Cocti = fire bricks
Reading materials: Roman building: materials and techniques, Adam, JP (1994) Roman Building Techniques, Rook, T (2013) Roman Builders, Taylor, R (2003)
Build Like a Roman is a podcast about how the Roman world was built.
Focusing on materials, craft, and construction, each episode explores the practical realities of Roman building — from stone, brick, and mortar to the organisation of labour and technical skill behind surviving structures.
Short, focused episodes introduce core building materials before diving deeper into how buildings were made, maintained, and understood in the Roman world.
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! Hosted by Darren McLean. Buy me a Coffee
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