Articles for tag: Ancient Construction, Ancient Engineering, Roman concrete, Roman Empire Technology

a close up of a stone wall with footprints on it

The Mystery of Roman Concrete: Why Has It Lasted 2,000 Years Longer Than Ours?

Suhail Ahmed

  Two thousand years after bricklayers in tunics tamped mortar under Mediterranean sun, their arches, harbors, and domes still shrug off time. Meanwhile, the modern world spends staggering sums patching cracked bridges, leaky tunnels, and spalling seawalls long before their planned retirements. The puzzle is almost taunting: how did ancient builders, without steel or Portland ...

How the Romans Made Concrete That Lasts Millennia

How the Romans Made Concrete That Lasts Millennia

Jan Otte

Walking through the ruins of ancient Rome today, you’re witnessing something that defies modern understanding of construction materials. The Pantheon’s massive dome, completed around 1,900 years ago, still stands proud against the sky. Roman aqueducts continue to channel water across landscapes. Harbor structures built during Caesar’s time remain solid beneath Mediterranean waves. How did ancient ...