The Use of Lime-Mortar Masonry in HawaiʻiLime-mortar masonry was introduced to Hawaiʻi around the turn of the 19th century. Lime was produced by harvesting and burning coral blocks and sand composed of coral and shell. This lime was mixed with sand and water to create a mortar using material available to people at the time. These mortar mixes were used to build many different types of structures including houses, churches, tombs, and cisterns for water collection and storage. To better understand these historical mortar mixes, the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Cultural Resource Management program hosted a National Council for Preservation Education intern, Naftalia Flatté, who collected and analyzed mortar samples from various historical sites around the Island of Hawaiʻi. The different mortars were brought to the lab in the park and broken down with hydrochloric acid into coarse volcanic aggregate, fines, and acid-soluble content. The proportions discovered through this procedure will help researchers understand and document the local materials and processes that were used to make the mortar. The data will allow cultural resource specialists to more accurately replicate the original historical mortar ratios when mixing repair mortars to help stabilize vulnerable sites.
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Uncovering the past to protect the future - preserving archeological sites for generations to come. Lime-mortar masonry was introduced to Hawaiʻi around the turn of the 19th century. 
Protect Archaeological Sites for Future GenerationsThe small samples used in this experiment were collected with permission and were already detached from the structures. Should you come across a mortared structure, please do not take any mortar fragments as the sites can be extremely fragile. Please do not sit or stand on the features as doing so can compromise their stability. Help us preserve and protect these unique and irreplaceable resources for future generations. |
Last updated: February 8, 2023