Earthen Archaeology

This paper presents a comparative study between prehistoric, traditional (19th–20th century) and contemporary adobe bricks from Cyprus. Reported experimental results include grain size distribution analyses, qualitative and/ or quantitative mineralogical and chemical analyses, methylene blue and Atterberg Limits tests of the raw material used for the production of the aforementioned adobes. The experimental results are complemented by a thorough literature review of Cypriot adobe production. The findings of the study show that contemporary as well as traditional adobes are to a great extent similar to the prehistoric ones tested in the framework of this research, taking into account the inherent non-homogeneity of the material. This conclusion derives both from the literature review and from the tests conducted in the laboratory. Although similarities are evident in the principles of production and curing, there are differences in the actual composition and mix design that may potentially influence the physico-mechanical characteristics and durability of adobe bricks. It is anticipated that the investigation of early adobe samples and the comparison of traditional methodologies and practices of adobe production with respective contemporary ones, will contribute towards the enhancement of existing knowledge regarding adobe production technology. The ultimate aim is to use the results of this study in order to improve the practices applied in the current production of adobes. It is also expected that this study will further assist towards the development of methods for the quality control of earthen building materials, thus promoting, the use of adobe in contemporary architecture as an alternative, sustainable form of construction.

Earthen architecture in Cyprus dates back to the Neolithic era. Up until the first half of the
20th century, adobe bricks were used extensively for the construction of load-bearing masonry walls. However, following the modernization of the local society, the urbanization trends and the introduction of industrialized building materials, the use of adobes declined.
Contemporary adobes are produced by a limited number of local manufacturers using random raw materials and empirical techniques. As a result, the end-product is generally non-homogeneous with variable physico-mechanical properties.
This paper presents a comparative study between prehistoric, traditional and contemporary
(19th - 21st century) adobes from Cyprus. Reported results include mineralogical and physico-chemical analyses of both raw materials and brick specimens sampled from prehistoric archaeological sites, 19th - 20th century traditional buildings and contemporary producers. The findings of the study show that traditional and contemporary adobes are to a great extent similar to the prehistoric bricks, taking into account their inherent inhomogeneity. Nevertheless, mixing of raw materials was probably the norm in prehistory; this practice has been gradually abolished in traditional and contemporary adobe production. It is anticipated that the current study will contribute towards improving the practices for local adobe production and will assist in the development of quality control methods for earthen materials, thus enhancing their use in contemporary sustainable construction.

The paper explains the research activities carried out for the preservation of architectural artefacts in archaeological site at Kınık Höyük (South Cappadocia, Turkey).
Excavations began in 2011 and they have brought to light many architectural artefacts of an ancient urban settlement.
The artefacts are made of stone or mud materials and when they were exposed to weathering and to variations in temperature and humidity of the external environment, they have started to show signs of a progressive and rapid decay.
An investigation on building techniques was started with the aim to understand the behaviour of the original building structures, and a diagnostic campaign has begun with the aim to characterize building materials (XRD analysis on powder of materials); in particular the mixture of mud materials has been studied. These investigations have been put in place in order to define preservation interventions compatible with historical materials. Since 2014 the research group conducts also the design of temporary shelters for the operations of the archaeological site, facing many criticalities (impossibility of underground foundations, difficulty in finding building materials, scarce funding and above all lack of  time).