Home›Buildings and Structures›Material›Rammed EarthElements and MaterialsRammed EarthMaterialReference and ClassificationDevelopingA construction technique in which layers of moist earth, sometimes stabilized with lime or cement, are compacted within temporary formwork to build solid, monolithic walls. Used for millennia in vernacular construction, sections of the Great Wall of China among them, the technique has been revived in contemporary sustainable architecture for its thermal mass and low embodied energy. In the United States, the Borough House Plantation and its adjoining Church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg, South Carolina, begun in 1821, form the oldest and largest surviving collection of rammed-earth buildings in the country and are both designated National Historic Landmarks. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/FactsRammed EarthConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsElement KindWell-attestedMaterial 2First Used EraWell-attestedNeolithic; evidence reaches back to sites in the Fertile Crescent, dated to the ninth to seventh millennium BC, and to the Yangshao and Longshan cultures in China, dated to 5000 BC, with historical use widespread across China, North Africa and Europe. 1EraEra (category)Well-attestedNeolithic 1Rammed EarthFilter Results7 entriesBuilding FamilyAllArchaeological Sites of the Near East, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and North Africa (1)Farmsteads and Homesteads (2)Farmsteads and Homesteads Outside the United States (2)Historic Homes and Farms (Misfiled) (1)Historic Houses (Individual Landmarks) (1)Historic Houses Outside the United States (1)Museums and Galleries (1)Museums of the Middle East, Africa and Latin America (1)Plantation Houses (1)Plantation Houses: South Carolina (1)Vernacular and Traditional Dwellings (1)StyleAllBandeirista Architecture (2)Chinese Architecture (1)Colonial Architecture (2)Greek Revival Architecture (1)Building TypeAllAncient city (1)Bandeirista house (2)Casa grande (1)Fortified Earthen Dwelling (1)House (1)Plantation (1)Completed YearAll-4000 (1)1668 (1)1719 (1)1758 (1)Standing StatusAllRuined (1)Standing (6)GroupAllArchaeological Sites of the Near East, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and North Africa (1)Farmsteads and Homesteads Outside the United States (2)Historic Homes and Farms (Misfiled) (1)Historic Houses Outside the United States (1)Museums of the Middle East, Africa and Latin America (1)Plantation Houses: South Carolina (1)Vernacular and Traditional Dwellings (1)PlaceAllBrazil (4)China (1)Iran (1)United States (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 7Borough House PlantationRammed EarthButantã's HouseRammed EarthCasa do Sítio da RessacaRammed EarthCasa do Sítio TatuapéRammed EarthFazenda VelhaRammed EarthFujian TulouRammed EarthSusaRammed EarthConnectionsAssociated WithAdobe, Elements and Materials Well-attested Compressed Earth Block, Architectural Materials Well-attested Load-Bearing Wall, Elements and Materials Well-attested Sustainable Architecture, Concepts Well-attested Source WikipediaAdditional Source Rammed Earth (Wikipedia)Vernacular Architecture, Concepts Well-attested Source WikipediaAdditional Source Rammed Earth (Wikipedia)Seen InBorough House Plantation, Buildings and Structures Well-attested Source Borough House Plantation (Wikipedia)tier 3Butantã's House, Buildings and Structures Well-attested Source Butantã's House (Wikipedia)Casa do Sítio da Ressaca, Buildings and Structures Well-attested Source Casa do Sítio da Ressaca (Wikipedia)Casa do Sítio Tatuapé, Buildings and Structures Well-attested Source Casa do Sítio Tatuapé (Wikipedia)Fazenda Velha, Buildings and Structures Well-attested Source Fazenda Velha (Wikipedia)Fujian Tulou, Buildings and Structures Well-attested Source Fujian Tulou (Wikipedia)tier 3Susa, Buildings and Structures Well-attested Source Wikipedia: SusaIn the Other AtlasesEra Of OriginThe Neolithic PeriodAlso in History Atlas: the era this subject comes from.Sources1. Rammed Earth (Wikipedia)Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia: Rammed earth, History sectionEvidence of ancient use of rammed earth has been found in Neolithic archaeological sites such as those of the Fertile Crescent, dating to the 9th-7th millennium BC, and of the Yangshao and Longshan cultures in China, dating to 5000 BCE.Wikipedia: Rammed earth, United States and Canada section, Borough House PlantationConstructed in 1821, the Borough House Plantation complex contains the oldest and largest collection of 'high style' pise de terre (rammed earth) buildings in the United States.Wikipedia: Rammed earthRammed earth, also called pisé, is a technique for constructing foundations, floors, and walls using compacted natural raw materials such as earth, chalk, lime, or gravel.English Wikipedia, Rammed earth, lead section, third sentenceEdifices formed of rammed earth are found worldwide, in a range of environments including temperate, wet, semiarid desert, montane, and tropical regions.In Category: Elements and MaterialsAssociated With: Vernacular ArchitectureAssociated With: Sustainable ArchitectureView the Source2. WikipediaWikimedia FoundationWikipedia: Rammed earth, history sectionQuote, Wikipedia: Rammed earth, history sectionEvidence of ancient use of rammed earth has been found in Neolithic archaeological sites such as those of the Fertile Crescent, dating to the 9th-7th millennium BC, and of the Yangshao and Longshan cultures in China, dating to 5000 BCE.View the SourceWikipedia: SusaSeen In: Susa, Article bodyQuote, Seen In: Susa, Article bodyThe Apadana was enclosed by 6 metre thick walls of rammed earthView the SourceFujian Tulou (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikimedia FoundationSeen In: Fujian Tulou, Wikipedia leadQuote, Seen In: Fujian Tulou, Wikipedia leadThe fortified outer structures are formed by compacting earth, mixed with stone, bamboo, wood and other readily available materials to form walls up to 6 feet (1.8 m) thick.View the SourceBorough House Plantation (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikimedia FoundationSeen In: Borough House Plantation, Article textQuote, Seen In: Borough House Plantation, Article textThe second house was built in 1820 of rammed earth by William Wallace Anderson, M.D.View the SourceButantã's House (Wikipedia)Seen In: Butantã's House, Article textQuote, Seen In: Butantã's House, Article textIt is notable for its construction in taipa de pilão (rammed earth) and its high ceilings.View the SourceCasa do Sítio Tatuapé (Wikipedia)Seen In: Casa do Sítio Tatuapé, LeadQuote, Seen In: Casa do Sítio Tatuapé, LeadBuilt in 1668 and 1698 by Mathias Rodrigues da Silva, it was erected using the rammed earth technique and contains six rooms and two attics, which distinguishes it from other examples from the colonial period by having a gable roof (inclined planes for water drainage).View the SourceFazenda Velha (Wikipedia)Seen In: Fazenda Velha, Article textQuote, Seen In: Fazenda Velha, Article textThe oldest part of the headquarters is made of rammed earth walls, a construction technique that uses moistened clay compacted between wooden forms to create continuous panels of structural walls.View the SourceCasa do Sítio da Ressaca (Wikipedia)Seen In: Casa do Sítio da Ressaca, LeadQuote, Seen In: Casa do Sítio da Ressaca, LeadBuilt with rammed earth, the house adopts an asymmetric plan, not very common in the Bandeirista residences.View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. 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