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Mortars and plasters—How mortars were made. The literary sources

Mortars and plasters—How mortars were made. The literary sources This article examines the ancient literary evidence for information regarding the ingredients and processes employed to make mortar, plaster, and sealants. The information from the authors is examined chronologically and within the genre and literary context in which it occurs to evaluate better the intention of the author. The challenges presented by the transmission of the manuscripts to the modern day and by the ambiguous and technical language sometimes employed are presented. Terms and expressions are compared between authors to determine how and to what degree such ambiguities can be resolved. The goal is to present a methodology for approaching ancient texts rather than to provide a definitive interpretation of their meaning, a task which is sometimes not possible given the nature of the evidence. Finally, a series of best practices is suggested for those approaching the texts without the benefits of philological training. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Springer Journals

Mortars and plasters—How mortars were made. The literary sources

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References (77)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
ISSN
1866-9557
eISSN
1866-9565
DOI
10.1007/s12520-021-01395-0
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This article examines the ancient literary evidence for information regarding the ingredients and processes employed to make mortar, plaster, and sealants. The information from the authors is examined chronologically and within the genre and literary context in which it occurs to evaluate better the intention of the author. The challenges presented by the transmission of the manuscripts to the modern day and by the ambiguous and technical language sometimes employed are presented. Terms and expressions are compared between authors to determine how and to what degree such ambiguities can be resolved. The goal is to present a methodology for approaching ancient texts rather than to provide a definitive interpretation of their meaning, a task which is sometimes not possible given the nature of the evidence. Finally, a series of best practices is suggested for those approaching the texts without the benefits of philological training.

Journal

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences – Springer Journals

Published: Nov 1, 2021

Keywords: Mortar; Plaster; Lime; Gypsum; Pozzolana; Clay; Daub

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