The Origins of Concrete Construction in Roman Architecture

Technology and Society in Republican Italy

Marcello Mogetta

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781108845687
• eBook ISBN: 9781108997676
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Archaeology
• Index: Social Sciences

In this study, Marcello Mogetta examines the origins and early dissemination of concrete technology in Roman Republican architecture. Framing the genesis of innovative building processes and techniques within the context of Rome's early expansion, he traces technological change in monumental construction in long-established urban centers and new Roman colonial cites founded in the 2nd century BCE in central Italy. Mogetta weaves together excavation data from both public monuments and private domestic architecture that have been previously studied in isolation. Highlighting the organization of the building industry, he also explores the political motivations and cultural aspirations of patrons of monumental architecture, reconstructing how they negotiated economic and logistical constraints by drawing from both local traditions and long-distance networks. By incorporating the available evidence into the development of concrete technology, Mogetta also demonstrates the contributions of anonymous builders and contractors, shining a light on their ability to exploit locally available resources.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• List of Plates
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Acknowledgments
• One Introduction
• Two Deconstructing Roman Concrete
• Three A New Date for Concrete in Rome
• Four A View from the Suburbium
• Five Building Samnite Pompeii
• Six Colonial Networks
• Seven Conclusion
• Appendix Catalog of Sites
• Glossary
• Bibliography and Abbreviations
• Index