Reconstructing the earliest known composite-tiled roofs from the Chinese Loess Plateau.

ABSTRACT: The origins of composite tiles, one of the oldest forms of roofing, are still unclear. This study is based on a set of over 5000 clay tile fragments excavated from a single context in the Qiaocun site on the Chinese Loess Plateau, dated to ~ 2400-2200 BCE (Early Longshan Period). By combining morphological measurement statistics, 3D modeling, computer-based simulations, and reference to historical and archaeological records, we reconstruct the earliest known composite-tile roofing techniques and demonstrate that tile production was under a low-level standardization, with manual control forming a key agent during the roofing process. The quantitative study of the composite roof tiles from Qiaocun was then placed in its archaeological context and compared with other sites on the Loess Platea

SUBMITTER: Xu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10199015 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature