Mudbrick Analyses

At Toumba excavation, archaeometric analyses have also been conducted on building material samples, such as wall coatings, mudbricks as well as on the mortar placed among them

The samples have been collected from walls of different complexes as well as from walls that date back to different periods of time, in order to facilitate the comparison of the results reflected by specific building practices, regarding different building complexes, or even different occupation phases.

The samples were examined by Professor Ioanna Papagianni-Papadopoulou, School of Civil Engineering, AUTh, who specializes in constructible material technology.

Furthermore, a second sampling was conducted exclusively on crude mudbricks from the walls of the building complexes of the settlement by the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory and the Laboratory of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology of AUTh. The objective of this sampling was the measurement of certain parameters, such as the mineralogical and chemical composition of the mudbricks as well as that of other aspects indicative of the composition and the features of the material.

A third sampling was conducted within the framework of the Archimedes ΙΙΙ project, “Fixing and deceleration of the wear rhythm of natural stones and structure materials with clay admixtures on architectony monuments” with Professor P. Theoulakis (TEI of Athens) as the scientific coordinator. More information provided here: http://archimedes.teiath.gr/index.php?p=proj43

The results of such research will be used for the selection of an effective method regarding the preservation and protection of the building remains of the Thessaloniki Toumba settlement.