{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/69a6dc450493c185053cebf3/69ac31adb49eecc0b7f6a7f5?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Build Like an Egyptian: Mud, Men and Monuments","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/69a6dc450493c185053cebf3/1775303134436-7f1e60e6-0ee3-4139-b426-96750a9da76d.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>The Egyptian - Mud Men and the First Monuments!</p><p><br></p><p>To the surprise of many people, the ancient Egyptians built far more in sun dried mud-brick, than they ever id in monumental stone.</p><p><br></p><p>See our photos on Instagram for this episode <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DW2YHHJiBpC\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/p/DW2YHHJiBpC</a></p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Djoser\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Djoser</a></p><p><br></p><p>\technical Glossary: Egyptian Mudbrick &amp; Plaster</p><ul><li>Db.t: The Egyptian word for mudbrick. Often written with the brick determinative. Refers to the material itself, not just the shape.</li><li>Hib: Egyptian term for a refined clay plaster, often mixed with powdered limestone. Smoother and brighter than plain mud plaster.</li><li>Mastaba: Arabic for \"bench.\" The modern term for the flat-topped, rectangular tombs of the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom periods.</li><li>Battered wall: A wall that slopes inward as it rises. Increases stability and sheds water.</li><li>Nile alluvium: The clay-rich silt deposited by the annual Nile flood. The base material for mudbrick.</li><li>Temper: Material (sand, straw, chaff) added to clay to reduce shrinkage and improve drying.</li><li>Gypsum 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.</li><li>Lime plaster: Plaster made from calcined limestone (calcium oxide). Requires higher firing temperatures (700-900°C). Rare before the Ptolemaic period.</li><li>Stratigraphy: In plaster analysis, the sequence of layers. Egyptian plasters show deliberate layering: coarse mud base, fine clay levelling, gypsum finish.</li><li><strong>Silt (The Bulk):</strong> This is the \"Goldilocks\" particle size—smaller than sand but larger than clay. It provides the volume.</li><li><strong>Clay (The Binder):</strong> Pure Nile silt actually contains about <strong>30% to 50% clay</strong>. This is the \"glue.\" Without the clay content, the bricks would just crumble into dust once they dried.</li><li><strong>Organic Matter:</strong> 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</li></ul><p>\t</p><p>\t</p>","author_name":"Darren McLean"}