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I thought the 'Roman concrete' hype was just talk until I saw a piece in person

A buddy of mine who works on a restoration project in Ostia Antica brought back a small fragment of a harbor wall. He said, 'Hold this, it's been underwater for 1,800 years.' I was sure it would be crumbling, but it felt solid as a rock. Seeing that up close totally changed my mind about how advanced their material science was. Has anyone else handled a piece of ancient material that surprised them with its condition?
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2 Comments
laura_white99
Yeah, that "solid as a rock" feeling is wild. My friend works at a museum and let me hold a piece of Viking-age iron. I expected rust, but it was just this hard, dark lump. Totally changed how I saw their metalworking.
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wendy205
wendy20511d agoMost Upvoted
Right? It's mind-blowing stuff.
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