Archaeometric and Archaeological Characterization of the Fired Clay Brick Production in the Brussels-Capital Region between the XIV and the Third Quarter of the XVIII Centuries (Belgium)
[en] Brick samples from different archaeological sites represent mostly houses in Brussels (Belgium) built between the end of the Middle ages (end of 13th-beginning 14th centuries) and the end of the Modern Period (18th century). The study gives a mineralogical–petrographical–chemical characterization of the brick samples made in the Brussels-Region and sources the raw silty material, the moulding sand and the lime-mortar. Optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffractometry, Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, magnetic susceptibility and scanning electron microscopic with an energy dispersive X-ray attachment were applied both to fired clay bricks and regional clayey materials. Bricks were moulded with a silica rich, non-calcareous loam gathered locally in the alluvial plain of the Senne valley. Material from gleysols and fluvisols were mined separately to shape two types of bricks. A strong chemical resemblance with the thick loessic deposits of the Belgian plateaus
results from erosion and river transport and sedimentation in the wide alluvial plain of Brussels. Petrography and geochemistry show minor participation of marine Lower Palaeozoic, Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks from the alimentation area of the Senne. Although clayey tertiary layers outcrop in the Brussels Region and are cut by the numerous tributaries of the Senne valley, they were never exploited for brick making in the Brussels Capital Region. Mineralogical composition and petrography suggest the absence of mixing with river sand or local marine tertiary sands. Local sediments extracted in the valley sides as Eocene fossiliferous fine sand were used as moulding sand [fr] Les briques étudiées proviennent majoritairement d’habitations construites à Bruxelles (Belgique) entre la fin du Moyen Âge (fin xiiie-début xive siècle) et la fin des temps Modernes (xviiie siècle). L’étude fournit une caractérisation minéralogique, pétrographique et chimique des briques faites
dans la Région de Bruxelles Capitale et discute des sources des matières premières silteuses, les sables de moulage et les mortiers de chaux. La microscopie optique, la diffraction des rayons X, l’ablation laser associée à la spectrométrie de masse à couplage inductif, la susceptibilité magnétique et la microscopie électronique à balayage couplée aux analyses par analyse dispersive en énergie, furent utilisées pour caractériser les briques et différentes ressources argileuses régionales. Les briques ont été moulées avec une matière première silteuse, riche en silice, non calcareuse et récoltée localement dans la plaine alluviale de la vallée de la Senne. Des gleys et des fluvisols ont été extraits séparément pour la préparation de deux types de briques. La forte ressemblance chimiqueavec les épais dépôts loessiques de plateaux résulte de l’érosion de ces derniers et de leur transport par la rivière suivi de la sédimentation dans la large plaine alluviale de Bruxelles. La pétrographie et la géochimie montrent une participation mineure de roches sédimentaires du Paléozoïque inférieur, du
Crétacé et du Tertiaire issues du bassin d’alimentation de la Senne. Bien que les couches de sédiments meubles argileux du Tertiaire affleurant en Région Bruxelloise soient recoupées par les nombreux affluents de la Senne, elles n’ont jamais été utilisées pour la production de briques dans la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. La composition minéralogique et la pétrographie suggèrent l’absence d’ajout de sables de rivières ou de sables marins tertiaires locaux. Des sables fossilifères fins d’âge Eocène sont utilisés comme sable de moulage.
Disciplines :
Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences: Multidisciplinary, general & others
Author, co-author :
Goemaere, Eric
Sosnowska, Philippe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'Architecture > Archéologie du bâti et de l'histoire de la construction
Golitko, Mark
Goovaerts, Thomas
Leduc, Thierry
Language :
English
Title :
Archaeometric and Archaeological Characterization of the Fired Clay Brick Production in the Brussels-Capital Region between the XIV and the Third Quarter of the XVIII Centuries (Belgium)
Alternative titles :
[en] Caractérisation archéométrique et archéologique de la production briquetière de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale entre le xive siècle et le troisième quart du xviiie siècle (Belgique)
Publication date :
2019
Journal title :
ArchéoSciences : revue d'archéométrie
ISSN :
1960-1360
eISSN :
2104-3728
Publisher :
Groupe des Methodes Pluridisciplinaires Contribuant a l'Archéologie, France
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