Go hard or go home: why Roman concrete lasts thousands of years

Researchers have realised why ancient building materials are superior to modern versions — and found the proof at Pompeii
Tom Kington
, Rome
The Times
The secret of Roman concrete is a mixing technique used in Pompeii, right, that allows it to become “self-healing”
The secret of Roman concrete is a mixing technique used in Pompeii, right, that allows it to become “self-healing”
Tom Kington
, Rome
The Times

A theory that the Romans used a type of “self-healing” concrete which is superior to the modern building material and helped keep their monuments standing for 2,000 years has been backed up by a discovery at Pompeii.

Experts at the buried Roman city say excavated builders’ tools and materials help explain why buildings like the 2nd century AD Pantheon in Rome, which has the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome, is still in good shape.

“The concrete they used was the great invention of Rome and is the secret behind their building,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii.

The Pantheon has the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome
The Pantheon has the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome
GETTY

Researchers at MIT in Massachusetts discovered last year that the Romans used quicklime — a key ingredient in concrete — in a manner different to that