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Posted on 02/13/2026 6:28:16 AM PST by SunkenCiv
For once, new research on the ruins of the Roman city of Pompeii is not focusing on the destructive aftermath of the infamous Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 CE. Instead, it centers on the creative acts preceding it. After taking a closer look at the city's construction projects, a team from MIT believes that ancient Rome's legendary concrete recipe might need a major historical revision.
When ancient Roman architecture comes to mind, the columns and coliseums are generally the first things that pop into your head. These structures were often built using Roman concrete -- and that material traces back to a single man named Vitruvius. The 1st century BCE engineer is widely credited for authoring De Archtectura, the only architectural treatise to survive from antiquity, and his recipe for concrete helped construct some of the empire's most iconic buildings.
In 2023, MIT engineer Admir Masic and colleagues published the results of their research into surviving Roman concrete. They confirmed that the composite was manufactured by first mixing lime fragments with volcanic ash and other dry materials. Adding water to this blend then produced heat at a chemical level in a process known as "hot-mixing." As the concrete set, it preserves bits of the reactive lime as tiny, gravel-like stones. When the concrete inevitably cracked over time, the lime then redissolves and fills in the fissures -- granting the material its famous self-healing properties.
(Excerpt) Read more at popsci.com ...
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An ancient Pompeii wall at a newly excavated site, where Associate Professor Admir Masic applied compositional analysis (overlayed to right) to understand how ancient Romans made concrete that has endured for thousands of years.Credit: Archaeological Park of Pompeii
More likely the local yokel did it wrong, or just lacked one or more of the usual components.
The 1st century BCE IOW, The 1st century BC..
Who else is tired of revisionist history?
If this mixture proves to be superior, it will be relegated to a warehouse next to the Arc of the Covenant..the unions want no part of concrete that doesn’t require repair every few years.
“ Who else is tired of revisionist history?”
I am.
CE, BCE (current era, before current era) makes no sense. What event distinguishes the two? Hmmm….
Everybody is... AD, BC... Any other letters are a bastardization of reality.
You need to believe Jesus is the son of God to be a Christian, believing his life was a historical event worthy of measuring history is politically and religiously neutral.
If English-speaking Christians can keep using “Thursday” (Thor’s Day), then non-Christians using the Gregorian calendar can use “B.C.” and “A.D.” without violating their consciences. Otherwise, they can try to get on with the Islamic calendar (1447 AH), Hebrew Calendar (AM 5786), Buddhist calendar (2569–2569 or 2564–2565 depending on location), Chinese calendar (4719, 4720, 2724, 4725, depending on . . . stuff), Ethiopian calendar (2018), Hindu Calendar (2083 VS), Aldous Huxley calendar (AF 118).
I have no problem with AD and BC, I’m a Christian sort of guy.
How do we refer to the 33 or so years Christ was alive?
WA?
Did it come in 50 pound sacks?
Suddenly I have an urge to play some Pink Floyd.
Have you ever been to Pompeii?
Thanks, SunkenCiv for once again finding and posting a very interesting article.
BTW I maintain that BCE simply stands for “Before the Christian Era.” (Drives libs even more insane whenever used.)
I have been there but I was pretty drunk the whole time.
BCE an CE are “common era”. Those terms used to only be used used by Jews and Muslims instead of Before Christ and Anno Dominum.
BCE and CE make no sense because they are referring to an extraordinary historical event that BCE and CE adherents can’t seem to describe or want to acknowledge happened.
The world is in denial when it does not admit the official calendars of the vast majority of the world use the Christian Gregorian calendar system and acknowledge that Christ is the reason for that data.
The world is in denial when it does not admit that official calendars of the vast vast vast majority of the world use the Christian Gregorian calendar system, and acknowledge that Christ is the reason for that form of dating.
Probably plastic buckets.
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