Mortar and Concrete: Precursors to Modern Materials

For thousands of years, mortar-based materials -including bedding mortars, plaster floors, internal wall plasters, external wall renders and stuccos, and concrete -have been key construction materials in many cultures throughout the world. This paper gives an overview and examples of the use and development of mortar-based materials in cultures across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Mesoamerica, prior to the development of hydraulic cements in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.