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Mortars and masonry—structural lime and gypsum mortars in Antiquity and Middle Ages

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Abstract

Mortar is of fundamental importance for the building technology. It is used to bind together masonry units and ease the building process. Several building techniques evolved to take advantage of the capacity of mortars to improve cohesiveness and form sound structures. In this paper, I discuss how lime and gypsum mortars were employed from the Antiquity to the Middle Ages. Gypsum mortars offered several advantages due to their adhesive properties and quick setting. Their use as a structural binding agent developed in regions rich in gypsum, and was particularly significant in vault construction. Lime mortars offered different advantages over gypsum ones, particularly in terms of mechanical resistance and resilience to humid conditions. The massive use of lime mortars started with the ancient Romans and continued throughout the centuries as the foremost binding material, until the introduction of Portland cement mortars in the nineteenth century.

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    Paolo Vitti

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Vitti, P. Mortars and masonry—structural lime and gypsum mortars in Antiquity and Middle Ages. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 13, 164 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01408-y

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