Recycling and Reuse of Building Materials in a Historical Landscape—Viminacium Natural Brick (Serbia)

During the MoDeCo2000 scientific and research project on mortars used in territory of Roman Danube Limes Serbia, biggest challenge was quest for provenance raw materials. The area where Viminacium, largest city province Moesia Superior developed, with millennial continuity land use settlement, selected as case study is presented this research. People throughout history have always what they had at hand, building remains were not only reused but also recycled new constructions. Thus, material Viminacium has survived landscape through situ preserved buildings, well structures from later periods, up to today. To best our knowledge, natural sediments baked during self-combustion or combustion underneath layers (coal case) purpose construction extremely rare Empire. In study, we follow presence type precisely construction, naming it brick, while focusing its potential lime whose production perfected period never been surpassed afterward. Archaeological contexts which found studied, along simultaneous work laboratory field experimental brick mortars. We sought determine whether could recognised by Romans a valuable pozzolanic component mortar, instead fired being locally available recyclable. final confirmation features discussion open completely directions future