Title:
Decoding Mayan Lime Mortar: Role of in?situ Soil in Carbonation Kinetics
Author(s):
Md Montaseer Meraz
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
ws_F25_MontaseerMeraz.pdf
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
10/26/2025
Abstract:
The use of locally available materials, such as in situ soils, as fine aggregates in mortar offers a sustainable strategy for optimizing resource use in construction. Historically, the Mayan civilization used local soils to produce lime based mortars for infrastructure; the pyramids in Mexico stand as enduring examples of this practice, particularly the Muyil Pyramid (see Figure 1, top left), are surviving instances of this process. The long term stability of these structures underscores the durability of such materials. This study investigates the mineralogical characteristics of Mayan lime mortars, based on samples collected from the Muyil pyramid, built circa 300?B.C., in Quintana?Roo, Mexico. Specifically, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the mortar indicate that the mortar primarily comprises lime and calcareous soil sourced from nearby regions. Identical lime mortars were cast with the soil sources from the same region (as shown in Figure 1). The preliminary results indicate that the calcium carbonate polymorphs present in the soil played a critical role in the kinetics of carbonation. The high amounts of Aragonite and calcite in the in situ soil significantly enhance the carbonation kinetics and contribute to the strength improvement. The strength gain is attributed mainly to the binding of soil particles from calcium carbonate precipitation.