HOUSE CONSTRUCTION

The second phase of the TiMMA experiment focused on incorporating timber elements from the 'protopalatial Minoan' small building with mud brick walls, a project supervised by Maia Pomadère from Paris I, ArScAn, and Marta Lorenzon from the University of Helsinki.

Mud bricks were prepared by various teams, including students, members of Piliko, and other volunteers. For more details, you can visit (https://www.efa.gr/mission-de-terrain-de-lefa-construction-dun-batiment-experimental-a-malia/). The construction of the building began with the laying of the foundation rubble wall, followed by the placement of the timber elements.

Building of the rubble base of the building (©Apostolou).

One of the aims of the experimental study was to test various layouts and sections of the horizontal timber reinforcement system used in mud brick masonry. This system has been identified in Quartier Mu at Malia and in other Minoan buildings from the pre-proto and neopalatial periods, such as those in Vasiliki, Phaistos, and Akrotiri, particularly in rubble walls.

Longitudinal and transversal logs put on the East, South and North walls (©Tsakanika and Rougier-Blanc).

During the construction process in July 2023, several practical difficulties arose, including a shortage of time, labor, and building materials, particularly bricks. In response to these challenges, the supervisors of the Efa project made the decision to construct a smaller structure measuring 4 x 2.30 meters, which equates to approximately 9 square meters.

The drawings of the experimental building, that were designed during the planning process (left) and after the changes and adjustments (©Apostolou).