Opus incertum was a Roman masonry technique using small, irregularly shaped stones set in concrete walls. It was used in the 1st and 2nd century BC and gradually replaced by opus reticulatum. The technique is used to date archaeological finds and was described by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio in his book “Ten Books on Architecture.”
Opus incertum was a masonry construction technique used by the ancient Romans. The style involves the use of small stones of various shapes in the construction of walls or other architectural foundations, such as the masonry used to build bridges. It was mainly in use in the 1st and 2nd century BC. The term literally means “uncertain work”, perhaps referring to the irregular appearance of the masonry built with this technique.
Small irregularly shaped pieces of stone – about 4 inches (about 100 millimeters) in diameter – were used for the opus incertum. These stone pieces have been set into a concrete masonry wall. Occasionally, horizontal lines of brick or tile were laid in the walls as well. The stone walls were either unclad or clad on one side only, giving a rough, uneven appearance.
The earliest use of opus incertum dates from 210-200 BC The technique largely died out during the first quarter of the 1st century, but remained in use in some areas until the mid-1st century BC During that time it was gradually replaced from opus reticulatum, a technique using a regular pattern of small diamond-shaped stones. A style archaeologists call quasi-lattice marks the transitional period between the two styles.
Construction techniques are commonly used to date archaeological finds as techniques such as opus incertum have only been used for a relatively short time. Probably the oldest known use of this technique is in the Roman Forum, where it was used for restoration. Examples of opus incertum have been found throughout the Roman-occupied portions of Italy. Walls built with this technique and dating from between 200 and 150 BC have been found in many locations, including Pompeii, basilicas in city squares or public markets and various temples.
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, who lived during the mid-1st century BC, was an architect and engineer who described the opus incertum in his multi-volume paper “De Architectura libre decem” – “Ten Books on Architecture”. “De Architecura” is the only complete surviving architectural work from that period. Vitruvius referred to the opus incertum as the “old way” of building walls, showing that by that time it had mostly been replaced by the opus reticulatum. He stated that the opus reticulatum was more graceful in appearance, but weaker and more prone to cracking than the older style of construction.
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