This is the trailer for the Build Like a Roman podcast.

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!

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What were Roman floors like?

We know about their mosaics, but what about clay tile? Stone slabs, mortar floors or floorboards?

Photos of this episode: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWj65iAl9ce/

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Glossary for this episode

• pavimentum → floor / pavement (the visible finished surface)
• pavire → to beat down / ram / compact
• statumen → foundation layer of large stones
• rudus → compacted rubble layer bound with lime
• nucleus → fine levelling layer (lime + crushed pottery/aggregate)
• contignatio (contignationes) → timber floor structure / framed floor system
• tignum → beam / timber
• tessera (tesserae) → small cubes used in mosaics
• opus tessellatum → standard mosaic work (medium tesserae)
• opus vermiculatum → fine mosaic work (very small tesserae, high detail)
• emblema (emblemata) → central mosaic panel (often pre-made and inserted)
• opus sectile → cut-stone flooring (shaped pieces fitted together)
• opus spicatum → herringbone brick/tile pattern
• basoli → large stone paving blocks (often basalt, used for streets/heavy use)
• opus signinum → lime + crushed terracotta with occasional inserts
• cocciopesto → lime + crushed terracotta (no inserts)
• opus → “work” / construction method (e.g. stonework, brickwork)

Sources:

Vitruvius, De Architectura

• Primary source for Roman floor construction (Book VII, pavements; layered systems: statumen, rudus, nucleus).

Pliny the Elder, Natural History

• References to opus signinum and crushed ceramic flooring materials.

Roger Ling, Roman Painting

• Includes discussion of decorative interiors and mosaic techniques.

David S. Neal, Roman Mosaics in Britain

• Key work on mosaic types, techniques, and regional variation.

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What was Roman window glass like?

Well, to start with it had bubbles in it, you couldn't really see through and it was expensive.

Listen to this episode to learn about Roman glass, what was it, where it was made, and by whom.

Photos of this episode: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWW4wx2lzbW/

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Sources:

Archaeological Studies

• Ian Freestone (University College London): Freestone is widely considered the world's leading authority on the chemical provenance of Roman glass.
• Patrick Degryse, Glass-making in Antiquity: Isotope Analysis (2014): The definitive scientific text on using strontium and neodymium isotopes to track Roman glass back to specific Mediterranean beaches.
• Allen, D. (2002), Roman Window Glass: A specialized study that looks specifically at the architectural use of glass.

Ancient Historical Sources

• Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia (Natural History), Book 36: This is the most famous source. Pliny describes the accidental discovery of glass by Phoenician merchants on the River Belus
• Strabo, Geographica: Writing in the early 1st century AD, strabo notes the unique properties of the sand to be melted into glass, highlighting the Levant's industrial dominance.
• Diocletian Edict on Maximum Prices (301 AD): A massive document of regulated prices across the empire.
• Shipwreck Evidence
• The Embiez Shipwreck (France): A 3rd-century wreck that was carrying nearly two tons of raw glass chunks and blocks from the East.
• The Grado Shipwreck (Adriatic Sea): Famous for carrying a massive cargo of cullet (broken glass) meant for recycling.

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Bluesky

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Acast

Apple

Patreon

Spotify

Music Happy harp 6109353

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