Making Mud Bricks - 1985

Mud brick has been one of the principal building materials in Egypt since prehistoric times. In fact, the English and Spanish word “adobe” actually comes from ,Dbt (possibly pronounced “djebet” or djubet”), the ancient Egyptian word for brick. The Arabs rendered it as “al-toob” (“the brick,” pronounced ettoob), which became “adobe” in Spanish.

Brick-making in Egypt has probably not changed dramatically over the centuries: earth is mixed with water and some kind of binding material (usually chopped straw in Luxor), shaped in a simple mould, and allowed to dry in the sun.

Many of the Mut Precinct’s structures are mud brick, so we use modern mud brick to repair them. In 1985, we had bricks made on-site, using earth from the dumps of earlier expeditions.

More information on the Mut Precinct is available at:
Brooklyn Museum Mut Expedition: www.brooklynmuseum.org/features/mut/

The Johns Hopkins University Mut Expedition: www.jhu.edu/egypttoday

History of the Mut Precinct, early excavations: www.geocities.com/athens/styx/3776/index .html

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items are from 05 Sep 2006.