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Roman Timber: Roofs, Doors and Forgotten Walls
Ep. 005 - Roman Timber: Roofs, Doors and Forgotten Walls
This episode is looks at the Romans use of timber, be it structural, joinery or temporary. Timber is somewhat of a forgotten material by most people who looking at Roman archaeology, mainly as there's so little of it left. This week we aim to give Roman timber, a little more of the limelight.
Photos of this episode: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUq9pxzjeyO/
☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://ko-fi.com/buildlikearoman
Materia: General term for timber (as opposed to lignum, which usually referred to firewood).
• Abies: Fir. The primary wood for long-span roofing due to its straight grain and high strength-to-weight ratio.
• Quercus: Oak. Valued for its density and used for "wet-work" or heavy load-bearing sills.
• Larix: Larch. Highly prized for its natural resistance to fire and rot; often used in maritime or bridge engineering.
• Contignatio: A timber floor or ceiling assembly. This refers to the entire system of joists and decking.
• Tignum: A general term for a structural beam or log.
• Trabs: A large main beam, typically horizontal, used to support secondary joists.
• Statumen: The secondary layer of a floor; cross-battens or "stiffeners" laid over the main beams.
• Scandula: A wooden shingle. Used for roofing before the widespread adoption of terracotta tiles (tegulae).
• Opus Craticium: A timber-frame construction method. It involves a wooden lattice (wattle) filled with mortar or clay (daub).
Oak (Quercus): The "Iron" of the Roman forest. Used for ground-contact sills and heavy-load lintels. Cato advises cutting oak only when the sap is down (winter) to prevent rot.
Fir (Abies): The backbone of Roman roofs. Sourced from the Apennines. Vitruvius (De Architectura, Book 2.9) praises Fir for its lightness and stiffness, essential for long-span trusses.
Larch (Larix): The "Fireproof" wood. Vitruvius notes its resistance to fire and rot, making it the premier choice for bridge pilings and high-moisture
For students of archaeology, history, and art history — and for
anyone interested in how ancient buildings actually came into being.
North Africa and Western Asia are home to a multitude of Roman
buildings. Some still used on a daily basis, others in ruins, but that's
typically not the fault of the original builders. The fact that these still
exist at all after 2,000 years or more is a testament to skill and creativity
of the original builders.
There are some great Podcast which look at Roman politics,
history, and architecture, however in this Podcast, we focus on Construction
history, that being building materials, techniques and and the people who did
the work!
From structures to frescos, we'll cover it all!
Hosted by Darren McLean.
Buy me a Coffee
Bluesky
Follow:
Acast
Apple
Patreon
Spotify
Music Happy harp 6109353
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
View all episodes
By Darren McLeanEp. 005 - Roman Timber: Roofs, Doors and Forgotten Walls
This episode is looks at the Romans use of timber, be it structural, joinery or temporary. Timber is somewhat of a forgotten material by most people who looking at Roman archaeology, mainly as there's so little of it left. This week we aim to give Roman timber, a little more of the limelight.
Photos of this episode: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUq9pxzjeyO/
☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://ko-fi.com/buildlikearoman
Materia: General term for timber (as opposed to lignum, which usually referred to firewood).
• Abies: Fir. The primary wood for long-span roofing due to its straight grain and high strength-to-weight ratio.
• Quercus: Oak. Valued for its density and used for "wet-work" or heavy load-bearing sills.
• Larix: Larch. Highly prized for its natural resistance to fire and rot; often used in maritime or bridge engineering.
• Contignatio: A timber floor or ceiling assembly. This refers to the entire system of joists and decking.
• Tignum: A general term for a structural beam or log.
• Trabs: A large main beam, typically horizontal, used to support secondary joists.
• Statumen: The secondary layer of a floor; cross-battens or "stiffeners" laid over the main beams.
• Scandula: A wooden shingle. Used for roofing before the widespread adoption of terracotta tiles (tegulae).
• Opus Craticium: A timber-frame construction method. It involves a wooden lattice (wattle) filled with mortar or clay (daub).
Oak (Quercus): The "Iron" of the Roman forest. Used for ground-contact sills and heavy-load lintels. Cato advises cutting oak only when the sap is down (winter) to prevent rot.
Fir (Abies): The backbone of Roman roofs. Sourced from the Apennines. Vitruvius (De Architectura, Book 2.9) praises Fir for its lightness and stiffness, essential for long-span trusses.
Larch (Larix): The "Fireproof" wood. Vitruvius notes its resistance to fire and rot, making it the premier choice for bridge pilings and high-moisture
For students of archaeology, history, and art history — and for
anyone interested in how ancient buildings actually came into being.
North Africa and Western Asia are home to a multitude of Roman
buildings. Some still used on a daily basis, others in ruins, but that's
typically not the fault of the original builders. The fact that these still
exist at all after 2,000 years or more is a testament to skill and creativity
of the original builders.
There are some great Podcast which look at Roman politics,
history, and architecture, however in this Podcast, we focus on Construction
history, that being building materials, techniques and and the people who did
the work!
From structures to frescos, we'll cover it all!
Hosted by Darren McLean.
Buy me a Coffee
Bluesky
Follow:
Acast
Apple
Patreon
Spotify
Music Happy harp 6109353
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.