Introducing the Build Like an Egyptian series from Build Like an Ancient

Introducing the first episode of "Build like an Egyptian" series from "Build Like an Ancient". Applehttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/build-like-an-ancient/id1887035779 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/312nAy9fvUvZaQbc2TWbFm?si=LF-PiVspT_mxLtZB9Bd-wA The Egyptians - Mud Men and the First Monuments! To the surprise of many people, the ancient Egyptians built far more in sun dried mud-brick, than they ever id in monumental stone. See our photos on Instagram for this episode https://www.instagram.com/p/DW2YHHJiBpC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Djoser Technical Glossary: Egyptian Mudbrick & Plaster•Db.t: The Egyptian word for mudbrick. Often written with the brick determinative. Refers to the material itself, not just the shape.•Hib: Egyptian term for a refined clay plaster, often mixed with powdered limestone. Smoother and brighter than plain mud plaster.•Mastaba: Arabic for "bench." The modern term for the flat-topped, rectangular tombs of the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom periods.•Battered wall: A wall that slopes inward as it rises. Increases stability and sheds water.•Nile alluvium: The clay-rich silt deposited by the annual Nile flood. The base material for mudbrick.•Temper: Material (sand, straw, chaff) added to clay to reduce shrinkage and improve drying.•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.•Lime plaster: Plaster made from calcined limestone (calcium oxide). Requires higher firing temperatures (700-900°C). Rare before the Ptolemaic period.•Stratigraphy: In plaster analysis, the sequence of layers. Egyptian plasters show deliberate layering: coarse mud base, fine clay levelling, gypsum finish.•Silt (The Bulk): This is the "Goldilocks" particle size—smaller than sand but larger than clay. It provides the volume.•Clay (The Binder): Pure Nile silt actually contains about 30% to 50% clay. This is the "glue." Without the clay content, the bricks would just crumble into dust once they dried.•Organic Matter: 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 Buy me a Coffee Bluesky Instagram Follow:Acast Apple Patreon Spotify Music Happy harp 6109353 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.