"Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries"
Victor Hugo
A couple of months ago I presented a handling table at the
Roman Baths for the Words on Wednesday events.
This blog aims to give a general overview of the use of ceramic
buildings materials (CBM), that is bricks and tiles, in Roman Britain, as well
as how and why archaeologists continue to study these materials and what
relevance they have to our modern society.
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| Owen manning the handling table at the Roman Baths |
What are bricks and tiles?
Bricks and tiles are rectangular or flat blocks of red or
white clay that have been shaped and fired at high temperatures to produce the
hard and durable building blocks of homes and buildings across the world.
How were bricks and tiles used in Roman Britain?
While the Romans used bricks of a range of unfamiliar
shapes, at least to our modern eyes, they employed a lot of their bricks and
tiles in the same way that we do today. This includes in building walls and
structures as well as in roofing. The Romans are also famous for the
construction of heated floors, known as hypocausts, and channelling hot
air through buildings using specialised hollow tiles. Examples of these can
still be seen throughout the Roman Baths at Bath, so keep an eye out for them
the next time you visit!
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| A hypocaust in the West Baths at the Roman Baths |
Stay tuned for next week's blog, where we find out how and why Roman CBM is studied by archaeologists, and what relevance this has today.
Owen Kearn
Bournemouth University PhD student
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