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Build Like a Roman

Build Like a Roman

By: Darren McLean
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Build Like a Roman is a podcast about how the Roman world was built.


Focusing on materials, craft, and construction, each episode explores the practical realities of Roman building — from stone, brick, and mortar to the organisation of labour and technical skill behind surviving structures.


Short, focused episodes introduce core building materials before diving deeper into how buildings were made, maintained, and understood in the Roman world.


For students of archaeology, history, and art history — and for anyone interested in how ancient buildings actually came into being.

North Africa and Western Asia are home to a multitude of Roman buildings. Some still used on a daily basis, others in ruins, but that's typically not the fault of the original builders. The fact that these still exist at all after 2,000 years or more is a testament to skill and creativity of the original builders.


There are some great Podcast which look at Roman politics, history, and architecture, however in this Podcast, we focus on Construction history, that being building materials, techniques and and the people who did the work!


From structures to frescos, we'll cover it all!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darren McLean Education Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • The Roman Glassmakers

    The Roman Glassmakers
    Jun 16 2026
    In this episode of Build Like a Roman, we look at the Roman glassmaker, not of fancy vases and goblets, but down to earth windows glass. Many people aren't aware that the Romans even had glass in their windows. Not only did they have glass, it was more common than it was centuries later, in medieval times.Support the podcast: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://ko-fi.com/buildlikearomanPatreon https://www.patreon.com/c/BuildLikeARomanGlossary - Episode 19: Vitriarius, the Roman Glass MakerVitriariusA Roman glass worker or glass maker. From vitrum, meaning glass.SpeculariusA worker associated with specularia, meaning translucent panes or window-like sheets.SpeculariaRoman window panes or translucent panels.VitrumLatin for glass.OfficinaA workshop, workplace, or production space.FurnaceThe high-temperature structure used to melt or reheat glass. Roman glassworking required intense heat, often around 1,000°C.CrucibleA heat-resistant vessel used to hold molten glass or other materials during high-temperature work.Molten glassGlass heated until it becomes soft, viscous, and workable.Casting stoneA flat working surface onto which molten glass could be poured and spread to form a pane.CulletBroken or waste glass reused in glass production. Recycling cullet reduced the need for expensive imported raw glass.NatronA naturally occurring soda-rich mineral used as a flux in Roman glassmaking. It helped lower the melting temperature of silica.Primary glass productionThe large-scale making of raw glass from ingredients such as silica, natron, and lime. Major centres were in the eastern Mediterranean, especially Egypt and the Levant.Secondary glass productionThe reworking of raw glass chunks or recycled glass into finished objects such as vessels, beads, or window panes.LevantThe eastern Mediterranean region, including areas such as modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.FreedmanA formerly enslaved person who had been legally freed. Many Roman artisans and business operators were freedmen.SulphurataeSulphur matches or sulphur-tipped fire-sticks mentioned by Martial. In the episode, they appear in a joke about bartering cheap matches for broken glass.MartialA Roman poet and satirist, famous for short, sharp epigrams.CaeciliusThe target of Martial’s insult in the episode.Beyond the TiberA reference to the Transtiberine district. In Roman satire, this could carry associations of poverty, marginality, migrants, freedmen, and lower-status urban life.Float glassModern flat glass made by floating molten glass on molten tin. This is a modern industrial process, not Roman.MicaA mineral that can split into thin, translucent sheets. It was used historically as a light-admitting material.AlabasterA translucent stone that could be cut thinly to admit light before or alongside the use of glass windows.VellumPrepared animal skin. In some contexts, thin animal membranes could be used to admit diffused light.Pliny the ElderRoman author of Natural History. He discusses glass and states that the most prized glass was colourless and transparent, resembling rock crystal.Rock crystalClear quartz. Pliny uses it as a comparison for high-quality colourless glass.BathhouseA major Roman building type that often used glass or other translucent materials to control light, heat, and comfort.PaneA sheet or panel of glass used in a window.Greenish or bluish glassCommon natural tints in Roman glass, often caused by impurities in the raw materials.AnnealingThe controlled cooling of glass to reduce internal stress. If cooling was poorly managed, glass could crack or fail.Buy me a CoffeeBlueskyInstagramFollow:AcastApplePatreonSpotifyMusic Happy harp 6109353 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    10 mins
  • Roman Woodworkers

    Roman Woodworkers
    Jun 7 2026
    In this episode of Build Like a Roman, we look at the Roman carpenter and the wider world of ancient woodworkers. From the faber tignarius, or structural carpenter, to joiners, furniture makers, shipwrights, and military craftsmen, we explore how timber shaped Roman buildings even when the wood itself has long disappeared. This episode covers tools, training, collegia, timber supply, joinery, centring, roofs, and the technical knowledge behind Roman carpentry. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://ko-fi.com/buildlikearomanGlossary – Episode 17: Roman WoodworkersAdze / AsciaA shaping tool with the blade set at right angles to the handle. Roman carpenters used it to square logs, trim beams, and work timber across the grain.CarpentariusOriginally linked to carpentum, a two-wheeled wagon. It gives us the English word “carpenter,” but was closer to wagon-maker than structural carpenter.CarpentumA Roman two-wheeled carriage or wagon.CentringTemporary timber framework used to support arches, vaults, or domes while masonry or concrete was being built and setting.Clavi LigneiWooden pegs or “wooden nails” used to fasten heavy timber joints.CollegiaRoman associations with professional, social, religious, and funerary roles. They were not exactly the same as medieval guilds.Collegia FabrorumAssociations of skilled builders and makers, including carpenters and other technical artisans.DowelA wooden peg used to connect or reinforce pieces of timber.Equisetum / HorsetailA silica-rich plant used as a natural abrasive for smoothing and polishing wood.FaberA skilled maker or technical artisan. The term could apply to several trades, not only carpentry.Faber TignariusA structural carpenter: literally a “maker of beams,” from tignum, meaning structural timber.Faber IntestinariusAn interior joiner responsible for doors, windows, panelling, stairs, ceilings, and fitted woodwork.Faber LectariusA furniture maker, especially associated with couches, beds, and fine domestic woodwork.Faber NavalisA shipwright or ship-builder. Publius Longidienus of Ravenna is an example mentioned in the episode.FabriPlural of faber: skilled makers, craftsmen, or technical workers.Frame Saw / Sega a TelaioA saw with a thin blade tensioned inside a wooden frame, allowing straighter and more controlled cuts.FreedmanA formerly enslaved person who had been manumitted. Many Roman artisans were freedmen.Funerary SteleA stone grave marker. Some Roman artisans used these monuments to display their tools and professional identity.KerfThe cut made by a saw blade. Setting the saw teeth wider than the blade helped prevent jamming.LibellaAn A-frame level with a plumb line, used to check whether a surface was level.Mortise-and-Tenon JointA strong joint where a projecting tenon fits into a matching mortise hole.NormaThe carpenter’s square, used for marking and checking right angles.OfficinaA workshop.Plane / RuncinaA tool used to smooth and level timber surfaces. Roman planes could have iron soles and wedge-held blades.Plumb BobA hanging weight used to establish a vertical line.Putlog HolesHoles left in walls where scaffold beams were inserted during construction.SecurisAn axe, distinct from an adze. The axe cuts more directly with or into the grain.Spring-Pole LatheA lathe powered by a flexible pole and cord, used for turning wooden objects.TignumStructural timber or beam. It is the root of faber tignarius.TornatorA woodturner who shaped timber on a lathe.Tree-Nail / TrenailA large wooden peg used in heavy carpentry and shipbuilding.VeneerA thin sheet of valuable wood glued onto a cheaper or more stable timber base.VigilesRome’s official fire and night-watch service, organised under Augustus.Wattle and DaubA walling system of woven rods covered with earth, clay, or lime-based material.Wood TurnerA specialist who shaped wood on a lathe; in Latin, a tornator.Vitruvius. De Architectura Adam, J-P. (1994). Roman Building: Materials and Techniques.Buy me a CoffeeBlueskyInstagramFollow:AcastApplePatreonSpotifyMusic Happy harp 6109353 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    26 mins
  • The Roman Roofer: Thatch, Stone and Clay

    The Roman Roofer: Thatch, Stone and Clay
    May 28 2026
    Does "Roman Roofs" make you think of red clay tile?Well, one of the most common types of Roman roof was probably thatch.Listen to this weeks episode to learn more about the person who did it. The Roofer.This weeks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DY5HjhNF_m8/☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://ko-fi.com/buildlikearomanGlossaryArtisanA skilled craft worker. In this episode, the term refers to the people who physically made, laid, repaired, or finished Roman roofs, rather than the architects or patrons who commissioned buildings.CarpentariusA Latin term connected with carpentum, a carriage or wagon.CarpentumA Roman carriage or wagon.Fired clayClay hardened by heating in a kiln. Roman roof tiles were commonly made of fired clay, especially the familiar tegulaand imbrex system.FlashingA protective strip or sheet, often of lead, used to keep water from entering vulnerable joints in a roof, such as around edges, walls, gutters, or roof intersections. The term is modern, but the principle is relevant to ancient roofing.Freedman / freedwomanA formerly enslaved person who had been manumitted. In Roman craft production, freedmen and freedwomen could remain connected to former owners, workshops, households, or trade networks.Graffiti tileA tile marked before firing with writing, symbols, footprints, or other informal marks. The episode mentions examples of inscribed roof tiles, including tiles associated with enslaved women working in tile production.ImbrexThe curved Roman roof tile placed over the joints between flat tiles. Plural: imbrices. In the standard Roman tile roof, the imbrices cover the seams between rows of tegulae.KilnA high-temperature oven used to fire clay objects such as bricks, roof tiles, and pottery. In tile production, shaped clay tiles were dried first and then fired in a kiln.PlumbariusA Latin term for a worker associated with lead, from plumbum, meaning lead. It is connected to the later word “plumber,” although modern plumbers usually work mostly with other materials.PlumbumLatin for lead. This is the root of English words such as “plumber” and the chemical symbol Pb for lead.RooferA modern English term for a craft worker who installs or repairs roofs. The episode stresses that there is no single, simple Roman equivalent covering every roofing material and roofing task.ScandulaeLatin term for wooden shingles or roofing boards. These would have formed lightweight timber roofing coverings in some regions, though they rarely survive archaeologically.ScandulariusA worker associated with scandulae, or wooden shingles. The term is rare and mainly epigraphic, so its exact occupational meaning should be treated cautiously.SlateA thin, split stone used as a roofing material. The episode uses “slate” broadly for stone roof tiles, noting that stone roofing was part of the wider Roman roofing repertoire.TegulaThe flat Roman roof tile. In a typical Roman tile roof, tegulae formed the main flat covering, with raised edges or joints protected by imbrices.TegulaePlural of tegula. These are the flat tiles in the Roman roof-tile system.TegulariusA Latin occupational term connected with tegula. It may refer to a tile-maker, tile worker, or possibly roofer, but it does not map neatly onto the modern English word “roofer.”TerracottaFired clay, usually reddish or orange in colour. Roman roof tiles are often reconstructed as terracotta, though the episode argues that this was not the only roofing material used.ThatchA roofing material made from plant stems, such as reeds, straw, or long grasses.Tile yardA production area where clay tiles were shaped, dried, trimmed, and prepared for firingSourcesAlan McWhirr and David Viner (1978). “The Production and Distribution of Tiles in Roman Britain with Particular Reference to the Cirencester Region.”Fikret Yegül and Diane Favro (2019). Roman Architecture and Urbanism: From the Origins to Late Antiquity.Peter Warry (2006). “A Dated Typology for Roman Roof-Tiles (Tegulae).”Buy me a CoffeeBlueskyInstagramFollow:AcastApplePatreonSpotifyMusic Happy harp 6109353 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    15 mins
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