The Invention of Wattle and Daub

The technique of wattle and daub was first pioneered by human civilizations as early as 6000 B.C.E. as a way of weatherproofing their shelters. In its essence, wattle and daub is a way of filling in the gaps between the structural elements of wooden houses. The Invention of Wattle and Daub

The Invention of Wattle and Daub

In a typical Tudor example, oak staves were placed vertically between structural beams and then thin twigs of a  flexible hardwood such as willow or hazel were woven horizontally between the staves creating a robust mesh or wattle.

The wattle was then coated with the daub-a mixture of clay or mud and animal dung strengthened with straw or horsehair. This mixture was pressed onto the wattle by hand.

The mud and dung helped the dung helped the daub adhere to the wattle and the fiber content prevented cracks from forming.

The Invention of Map

The finished wall was sometimes burned to make it hard like pottery or coated with lime to make it more weatherproof.

This resulted in a strong wall that kept out the wind and rains the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer.

Wattle and daub walls did have their disadvantages, however. If they became damp they had a tendency to rot or became battle – infested.

And the term” breaking and entering” is thought to have originated from the ease with which criminals could enter such a building, simple by breaking the wall.