Technological Change in Roman Stonemasonry before Concrete

Abstract

The neglected topic of Mid-Republican building technology prior to the advent of concrete in the mid-second century is treated here. A close reading of Vitruvius’ De Architectura in combination with study of archaeological remains helps document two major technological changes: the strategic blending of building stones according to each stone’s physical properties, and the proliferation of lifting machines to raise heavy loads at building sites. Such developments depended upon close knowledge of building stones imported from Central Italy to Rome, and there are reasons to think that knowledge traveled with masons themselves. Thus, technological change speaks to labor migration, and relates similar shifts in the urban labor supply during the third and early-second century as those described by the previous chapter.