The Roman Roofer: Thatch, Stone and Clay cover art

The Roman Roofer: Thatch, Stone and Clay

The Roman Roofer: Thatch, Stone and Clay

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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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