Materials · c. 200 BCE
Roman concrete
Lime and volcanic ash make a mortar that sets even underwater.
From about 200 BCE Romans mixed lime with pozzolana ash to make opus caementicium. It built harbors, vaults and the Pantheon, some still standing after 2,000 years.
What it built on 1
What it led to 3
Watch
Related measurements
The dashed line marks when it first worked.
Share of people living in cities Latest: 57.5 % (2025) Source: Our World in Data