Abstract
ABSTRACT Archaeological and historical research combined with material science help to understand the development of building material and construction technology of the Middle Ages. The natural sciences, especially mortar characterisation and scientific dating have allowed new insights into mechanical mortar mixing which has been introduced and used mainly in the early medieval period between AD 500 and 1000. This paper combines the results of the pan-European archaeological research project RESTOMO with that of the interdisciplinary SNF-project “Mortar technology and construction history” at the UNESCO-world heritage site of Müstair monastery. Müstair so far is the only site with six mortar mixers from two periods. The comparison of the mortar samples from the mixers with samples from the building remains has proven to be challenging and partly contradicts the previous correlation of mortar mixers with archaeologically established building phases.
Highlights
Between AD 500 and 1000, the re-establishing of stone architecture in Europe can be seen as a process of “petrification” of sacred architecture, combined with a restructuring of territorial and social powers
Regarding the distribution and earliest evidence of mechanical mortar mixers, we must turn to Northumbria in the northeast of today England and southeast of Scotland: as early as around AD 680, the English monk Bede in his accounts of the Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow mentions “cementarios” meaning masons which work with stone and mortar
The petrographic analysis of the samples from mortar mixer P541 shows that most of the mortar fragments come from a secondary context and do not represent mortars that were produced in the mortar mixer
Summary
Between AD 500 and 1000, the re-establishing of stone architecture in Europe can be seen as a process of “petrification” of sacred architecture, combined with a restructuring of territorial and social powers. Regarding the use of machines at medieval building sites it has become clear that it is more correct to speak about technological transformation processes than about a transfer of technology. This avoids the still widespread simplistic culture conquest and progress paradigm connected with innovation and replaces it with an embedded environmental approach of sites, systems, and society. It is ideally suited to act as a case study to tell about materials and methods and about the movements and motivations of builders and patrons in the medieval period.
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