Webinar: Macro- and Microscopic Approaches to Minoan Mudbricks (9/10/2020)

Monday 9th November 2020 – 19h (EET) / Lundi 09 novembre 2020- 19h (EET) / Δευτέρα 09 Νοεμβρίου 2020- 7μ.μ. (EET)

Macro- and Microscopic Approaches to Minoan Mudbricks.Combining Architectural Study and Geoarchaeological Analyses of Earthen Building Materials in Bronze Age Malia

Marta LORENZON (Université d’Helsinki), Maud DEVOLDER (UCLouvain, INCAL-CEMA-AEGIS)

Sun-dried mudbricks formed a significant part of Bronze Age architecture in Crete, and many buildings still preserve walls constructed with this building material, such as the Minoan settlement and Palace at Malia. In this seminar, we want to present the results of a geoarchaeological and architectural study of mudbrick remains within the Malia Palace, which combines macroscopic observations of the singular mudbricks and their bricklaying techniques with their geoarchaeological analysis. Our main objectives are to investigate the structural properties of mudbrick masonry, to describe the mudbricks’ macroscopic fabric composition and to present the results of geochemical (pXRF and XRD) and petrographic analyses in order to highlight issues pertaining to craftmanship and material performance and re-use. The study focuses on interpreting and combining these macro- and microscopic approaches in order to gain insights on the craftspeople and labourers who participated to the Malia Palace building project throughout the Bronze Age. It also answers important questions regarding patterns of resources exploitation in the plain of Malia, making it possible to explore further the relationship between the natural and built environment in Minoan Crete.

Info: École française d’Athènes