December 12, 2025
This ancient construction site in the ruins of Pompeii is revealing new secrets about the 2,000-year-old recipe for Roman concrete
New research by DMSE alum Ellie Vaserman and an MIT team suggests the Romans used a method known as “hot mixing” to produce self-healing concrete.
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In the Media
Researchers applied compositional analysis at a newly excavated Pompeii site to understand how ancient Romans made concrete that has endured for thousands of years.
Photo: Adobe Stock
A new paper by Professor Admir Masic, DMSE alum Ellie Vaserman, and colleagues details their new findings on the specific ingredients used by ancient Romans to develop durable concrete, reports Sarah Kuta for Smithsonian Magazine. “Looking ahead, the findings could help improve modern construction techniques, informing the development of next-generation durable, low-carbon concrete,” writes Kuta.
Read more in Smithsonian Magazine.