Earth-Based Building Materials. The First Use of Clay Mortars and Adobes in Antiquity in Cyprus

Abstract

ABSTRACT Throughout antiquity, clay constituted one of the primary building materials used for architecture in Cyprus, as well as in other Eastern Mediterranean countries. This material was mainly used for the manufacture of adobes and mortars. The research presented in this paper constitutes one of the first comprehensive studies involving both in situ and laboratory analyses of 27 clay samples selected from eight different prehistoric sites from the Neolithic to Late Bronze Age. The chosen sites include the earliest permanent settlements of the island. The macroscopic and microscopic examinations, as well as chemical and mineralogical analyses, showed a variety of soils used as raw materials, mainly derived from the surrounding areas. It was revealed that the most abundant mineral was calcite. A moderate concentration of quartz and clay minerals was also found. However, some variations between samples selected from the same site were observed. Some rare minerals, such as celestite and gypsum were discovered in the Neolithic samples. At the same time, natural fibres such as straw were recognised in many samples. The investigation showed a chronological development of earthen structures and especially adobes.