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The difference between a trowel-finished and brush-finished Roman floor tile is wild
Ngl, I was at a local museum exhibit last weekend and they had two floor tiles from a Roman villa, same site but about 50 years apart in date. The older one had this rough, gritty surface from a brushed finish, but the newer one was smooth and almost polished-looking from a trowel finish. Apparently they just changed their technique around 100 AD, maybe because they got better tools or wanted to show off wealth. It's crazy how a simple tool swap can tell you so much about their priorities back then. Has anyone else noticed how finishing methods change across different Roman sites?
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park.riley2d ago
That phrase "simple tool swap can tell you so much about their priorities" really sticks with me. It's the same reason you can look at a 50s house and a 90s house and just know which one cared more about solid materials versus quick finishes.
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hill.david2d ago
Yeah the SAME thing happens with old furniture! You can tell a 1950s dresser from an 1990s one just by how the drawers slide and how the back panel is attached - simple build choices that say EVERYTHING about what people valued at the time.
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