Comparative analysis of bricks manufactured in the New World (1494–1544)

Abstract

This paper makes a comparative analysis of the first bricks manufactured in the New World during the first 50 years of conquest and colonization (1494–1544). Samples of bricks and tiles were taken from the sites of the ruins of La Isabella (1494), Concepción de la Vega (1502), Fort Santiago in Fortaleza of Santo Domingo (1540), and Royal Shipyards (1544). Petrographic analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X- ray diffraction (XRD), sclerometer and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry were performed on these samples. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the bricks are of very good quality, made with a good low-porosity clay. The selection of the raw material and the manufacture of the brick demonstrate the deep empirical knowledge of the craftsmen who made the first bricks in the New World.