Mortar Kombat: Recreating A Spanish Colonial Mortar Recipe

Christian Fernandez

Historical archaeological materials, such as masonry, may be some of the least studied in the Philippines. Mortars, for example, have long been a thing of the past after being replaced by cement, the use of which is also an issue in conservation. A 19th-century mortar recipe explains the methods of preparing this masonry material, which may have characterized the building practices during that time. The objective is to identify whether the recipe has become a common directive in construction throughout the Spanish period or whether certain factors have led to variations. This research follows a direct methodology of reconstructing the mortar by the book and subsequently undergoing chemical analyses that will generate results that can be comparable among other mortar samples across Luzon. The determination of the components of mortar is key to understanding how masonry technology adapted to local conditions and how ingredients were adjusted to available resources. There is a strong belief that this will help fill the gaps in the study of masonry as an archaeological material and could foster the creation of a database of recipes, techniques, and skills in handling masonry that is very beneficial in matters of conservation.