Glossary · P
Pozzolana
Also called pozzuolana, pulvis puteolanus
Volcanic ash from the region of Pozzuoli and Vesuvius which, mixed with lime, makes a mortar that sets hard even under water (a hydraulic cement). Vitruvius describes it in Book II.
See also: Opus caementicium
Rules that use the word
Pozzolana: a mortar that sets under water. Mix lime with the volcanic ash of the Bay of Naples, and the mortar will bind rubble into a solid mass that hardens even under the sea.
Where it appears in the book
In the chapters Walls and Openings, The Classical World.
A feature of Ancient Roman architecture.
Nearby in the glossary
Polylobed arch · Porch · Portico · Post-and-lintel · Pradakshina · Praecinctio · Prairie style · Prakara