The Secrets of Ancient Roman Concrete

There’s no doubt that the ancient Romans were master builders. Many temples, roads and aqueducts constructed during Roman times have held up remarkably well, despite the wear-and-tear, in the form of military invasions, tourist mobs and natural disasters such as earthquakes. Now, a team of researchers from Italy and the U.S. has analyzed a sample of concrete taken from a breakwater in Italy’s Pozzuoli Bay, at the northern tip of the Bay of Naples, which dates back to 37 B.C. Their findings, reported earlier this month in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society and American Mineralogist, may revolutionize modern architecture.