Glorious Mud!
Ancient and Contemporary Earthen Design and Construction in North Africa, Western Europe, the Near East, and Southwest Asia
1st Edition
Published on 30. October 2013
562 pages
978-1-935623-35-9 (ISBN)
Description
Invented about 13,000 years ago, mud architecture has since been one of the most common, economical, useful, and widespread forms of building. It has been--and is still being--used for grand palaces and temples as well as simple shops and homes. Research conducted over the last several decades has enabled archaeologists and architects to understand how now-ruined, ancient mud structures were originally built. Gus and Ora Van Beek describe mud-construction techniques from Southwest Asia, the Near East, North Africa, Europe, and the United States, paying specific attention to problems involving foundations, wall and roof construction, cooling and heating, water erosion, and earthquake damage. Glorious Mud! is not only the definitive reference work on one of the world's most important forms of architecture but also a powerful study of the human past.
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Gus W. van Beek | Ora van Beek
Glorious Mud!
Ancient and Contemporary Earthen Design and Construction in North Africa, Western Europe, the Near East, and Southwest Asia
Book
12/2007
Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press
€115.48
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Persons
Gus W. Van Beek was Curator Emeritus for anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Ora Van Beek is an independent scholar and research associate.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- List of Tables
- Preface by Gus W. Van Beek
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction by Gus W. Van Beek
- Terminology
- Geographical Regions Defined
- The Beginnings of Mud Construction
- Developments in the Near East and Mediterranean Region
- Mesolithic (Natufian) Period
- Epipaleolithic Period
- Neolithic Period
- Chalcolithic Period and Bronze Age
- Later Developments
- Mud Construction in the New World
- Mud Architecture for Today and the Future
- Part I: Overview of Mud Construction
- 1 Advantages of Mud Construction
- Low Cost
- Comfortable Interior Temperature
- Beauty and Flexibility
- Strength and Durability
- 2 Factors in Building Design
- Environmental Considerations
- Effects of Cultural Mores
- Influence of Tradition
- Function
- Human Creativity
- 3 A Sampling of Near Eastern and Southwest Asian Building Designs
- Pakistan
- India
- Syria and Jordan Valley
- Yemen
- Part II: Preparing to Build
- 4 Layout and Foundation
- Building Orientation and Site Preparation
- To Build with or without a Foundation
- Excavation Types
- Trench Foundations
- Hole Foundations
- Archaeological Evidence of Foundations
- Materials Used for Foundations
- Mud
- Ashlar, Rubble, and Stolen Materials
- Poured Concrete
- Reused Walls
- 5 Soils and Mud
- Types of Soil
- Quarrying Soil
- Tempering Materials
- Tools and Equipment
- Mixing Mud
- Making Mud Brick
- Hand Molding
- Brick Molds and Molding
- Pressed-Earth Blocks
- Drying Bricks
- Stacking Bricks
- Archaeological Characteristics
- Part III: Methods of Earthen Wall Construction
- 6 Wattle-and-Daub
- Overview of Wall Construction Methods
- Ancient and Recent Examples of Wattle-and-Daub
- From Fence to Wall to Dwelling in Gujarat, India
- Children's Models
- More Examples of Wattle-and-Daub Structures
- Infilling with Wattle-and-Daub
- Advantages and Disadvantages
- 7 Layered Mud
- Differences between Layered-Mud and Rammed-Earth Walls
- Construction
- Building Layers
- Drying Layers
- Architectural Features and Variations
- Geographical and Chronological Distribution
- Old World Sites
- New World Sites
- Advantages and Disadvantages
- 8 Rammed Earth
- Construction without Forms
- Revetments
- Building Vertical Rammed-Earth Walls without Forms?
- Construction Using Forms
- Origins of Form-Built Rammed Earth
- Geographical Distribution
- Form-Built Construction in Morocco and Elsewhere in the Old World
- Form-Built Construction in North America and Australia
- Advantages and Disadvantages
- 9 Mud Brick
- Brief History
- Construction with Form-Molded Brick
- Brick Shapes and Sizes
- Wall Thickness
- Bonding Patterns
- Structural Decoration of Walls
- Mud Mortar
- Laying Mud Brick
- Nogging
- Advantages and Disadvantages
- Part IV: Roof Construction
- 10 Flat and Raised-Frame Roofs
- Flat-Roof Construction Techniques
- Primary Beams
- Secondary Beams: Bamboo Poles and Branches
- Lining: Woven Mats and Reeds
- Insulation: Branches and Straw
- Compressed Mud
- Finish
- New World Innovations
- Raised-Frame Roofs
- Framing
- Covering Materials
- Advantages and Disadvantages
- 11 Curved Roofs: Domes, Arches, and Vaults
- Terminology
- History of Domes
- History of Arches and Vaults
- Characteristics of Curved Roofs
- Shapes
- Brick Sizes
- Wall Requirements
- Techniques of Erecting Domes, Arches, and Vaults
- Corbel Construction
- Radial Construction
- Pitched-Brick Construction
- Ribbed Construction
- Radial, Timber-reinforced Domical Vault
- Advantages and Disadvantages
- Part V: Finishing Details and Solutions
- 12 Walls, Columns, and Stairways
- Walls
- Plaster
- Paint
- Stucco
- Mosaics
- Orthostats
- Glazed Brick
- Ceramic Tiles
- Wood Paneling
- Other Decorations of Walls
- Columns
- Stairways
- 13 Floors, Windows, Doors, Ceilings, and Utilities
- Floors
- Earth
- Lime Plaster
- Mud Brick
- Fired Brick
- Stone
- Concrete and Cement
- Wood
- Ceramic Tile
- Terrazzo and Mosaic
- Windows
- Doors
- Ceilings
- Utilities
- Electricity
- Plumbing
- Heating and Cooking
- Cooling
- 14 Problems and Solutions
- Water Erosion
- Curbing
- Benches
- Tops of Walls
- Drains through Walls
- Buttresses
- Wall Surfaces in Rainy Zones
- Eaves
- Earthquakes
- Conclusion by Gus W. Van Beek
- Mud Architecture in the Twenty-first Century
- A Need for Affordable and Environmentally Friendly Housing
- Transitioning to Mud
- Glorious Mud
- Appendix A: Maps
- Southern Levant
- Near East
- Saudi Arabia and Yemen
- Morocco
- Pakistan
- India
- Syria
- Appendix B: Excavation Techniques by Gus W. Van Beek
- Excavation of Archaeological Foundations
- Differentiating Wall Types
- Care and Documentation of Mud-Brick Walls
- References
- About the Author
