Raw materials used in ancient mortars from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai (Belgium)

A study of ancient mortars from the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai, Belgium, reveals that both chalk and 'hard' Tournaisian limestone were used to produce lime during the Imperial Roman, Carolingian, and Romanesque periods (4th–11th century AD). The research, employing mineralogical, chemical, and microscopical techniques, identified these materials as locally sourced and capable of yielding either hydraulic or non-hydraulic lime. Additionally, the low abundance of overburnt particles in Gallo-Roman and Palaeo-Christian mortars suggests that technological knowledge regarding lime burning was present during these periods.

Elsen, J., Mertens, G., & Van Balen, K. (2011). Raw materials used in ancient mortars from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai (Belgium). European Journal of Mineralogy, 23(6), 871–882. https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2011/0023-2139