Overview
- Nature Communications published the findings on December 9, reporting direct evidence from an unfinished 79 C.E. construction site with raw material piles, tools, and walls at different stages.
- Researchers conclude that builders dry-mixed quicklime with volcanic ash and other ingredients before adding water, triggering exothermic reactions that created the durable binding matrix.
- Stable-isotope and mineralogical tests, including analyses of pumice, traced reaction pathways and distinguished hot-mixed quicklime from slaked lime described in traditional accounts.
- Lime clasts observed in the samples dissolve and recrystallize to fill cracks over time, explaining the material’s longevity in marine, seismic, and volcanic environments.
- The work challenges long-held interpretations of Vitruvius’ recipe and informs efforts to design more durable, lower-carbon cements, with lead author Admir Masic founding DMAT to pursue applications.