Introducing the first episode of \"Build like an Egyptian\" series from \"Build Like an Ancient\".
Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/build-like-an-ancient/id1887035779
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/312nAy9fvUvZaQbc2TWbFm?si=LF-PiVspT_mxLtZB9Bd-wA
The Egyptians - Mud Men and the First Monuments!
To the surprise of many people, the ancient Egyptians built far more in sun dried mud-brick, than they ever id in monumental stone.
See our photos on Instagram for this episode https://www.instagram.com/p/DW2YHHJiBpC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Djoser
Technical Glossary: Egyptian Mudbrick & Plaster
•\tDb.t: The Egyptian word for mudbrick. Often written with the brick determinative. Refers to the material itself, not just the shape.
•\tHib: Egyptian term for a refined clay plaster, often mixed with powdered limestone. Smoother and brighter than plain mud plaster.
•\tMastaba: Arabic for \"bench.\" The modern term for the flat-topped, rectangular tombs of the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom periods.
•\tBattered wall: A wall that slopes inward as it rises. Increases stability and sheds water.
•\tNile alluvium: The clay-rich silt deposited by the annual Nile flood. The base material for mudbrick.
•\tTemper: Material (sand, straw, chaff) added to clay to reduce shrinkage and improve drying.
•\tGypsum plaster: A plaster made from calcined gypsum (calcium sulphate). The dominant finishing plaster in Pharaonic Egypt due to low firing temperature and suitability in dry climates.
•\tLime plaster: Plaster made from calcined limestone (calcium oxide). Requires higher firing temperatures (700-900°C). Rare before the Ptolemaic period.
•\tStratigraphy: In plaster analysis, the sequence of layers. Egyptian plasters show deliberate layering: coarse mud base, fine clay levelling, gypsum finish.
•\tSilt (The Bulk): This is the \"Goldilocks\" particle size—smaller than sand but larger than clay. It provides the volume.
•\tClay (The Binder): Pure Nile silt actually contains about 30% to 50% clay. This is the \"glue.\" Without the clay content, the bricks would just crumble into dust once they dried.
•\tOrganic Matter: The Nile \"mud\" was rich in decomposed plant matter, which acted as a natural plasticiser, making the mix easier to mould. It also helped (marginally) with tensile strength