The Architecture of Mud: Construction and Repair Technology in the Hadhramaut Region of Yemen

Earthen Architecture as a Community of Practice: A Case Study of Neolithic Earthen Production in the Eastern Mediterranean

“…Its transformation from an agricultural by-product to building material and finally to use in architecture occurred not only as a technological process, but as a socio-cultural practice through which people created meaning communicated through a non-verbal medium, such as kinaesthetic motor movements (Lévi-Strauss 1962; van Vuuren 2015). Recent ethnoarchaeological studies showed how repetitive actions stemming from the manufacture of earthen building materials result in a multi-sensory experience that conditions the mind and help to develop kinaesthetic motor skills and tactile sensibility (Jerome et al 1999; Marchand 2011). Similar studies on ceramic production have emphasized the importance of non-declarative knowledge often expressed through motor skills and implicit learning (Abell 2020; Cutler 2019; Gosselain et al 2009; Squire 2004; Warnier 2007).…”

“…The know-how of earthen techniques may have been part of a general communal knowledge—especially in relation to techniques such as mud-slab, tauf and mud mortar—acquired through observation, participation and constant connection to other earth-related activities such as agriculture and pottery production (Catapoti & Relaki 2020; Kurapkat 2014, 114–15). On the other hand, the expertise and effort required in more labour-intensive earthen techniques such as mud plaster, which requires numerous replastering events and maintenance, and standardized mudbrick production indicates: 1) the presence of multiple people engaged in these activities; 2) the commitment of societal resources from agricultural and husbandry by-products such as chaff and animal dung used for tempering; and 3) an increased knowledge-base for the selection of the soil and the collection of consistent quantities for manufacture (Aurenche 1981; Guest-Papamanoli 1978; Jerome et al 1999; Kurapkat 2014, 114; Marchand 2011).…”

The preservation of exposed mudbrick architecture in Karanis (Kom Aushim), Egypt

“…These methods do not prevent erosion, but protect the original structure and shift the relentless decay from the ancient materials to the added modern architectural elements. When one of these protective methods is chosen, regular maintenance again becomes necessary resulting in a chain of logistical and financial consequences (Jerome et al 1999;Chaudhry and Sikka 2009). In either case, it must be assured that the ancient remains are structurally stable enough to receive the protective covering layers, not only the static structure but also the microstructure of the ancient clay materials.…”

“…The international conferences of Preserving Archaeological Remains in Situ (PARIS) provide another regular platform for developments concerning the in situ preservation of archaeological remains. Other sources include the journal Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites and the bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology International (APT Bulletin), which occasionally publish articles on earthen architecture and its preservation (e.g., Jerome et al 1999;Miller and Bluemer 1999;Kavazanjian 2004;Matero and Moss 2004;Maldoner 2007;Chaudry and Sikka 2009;Daneels and Guerrero-Baca 2011). Other pertinent research, however, is published in journals not regularly perused by archaeologists and conservators-such as the Annual Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Engineering Geology and the Structural Survey Journal-potentially making it difficult to find (e.g., Fodde 2008;Watanabe et al 2008;Fujii et al 2009).…”

The Geoarchaeology of Mudbricks in Architecture: A Methodological Study fromÇatalhöyük,Turkey

“…Conservation reports conducted compositional analyses of mudbrick in an attempt to understand how to preserve and publicly display earthen monuments (Torraca, Chiari, & Gullini, ; Dassler, ; Norby, ). Other reports provide excellent ethnographic data (Facey, ; Jerome, Chiari, & Borelli, ; Jerome, , ) in the processes involved with brick making as well as highlighting the variability in techniques and cultural adaptation of the mudbrick as an object.…”