The My So'n temples in Vietnam: study of the materials for the preservation project

The archaeological site of My San is located in centra! Vietnam and is characterised by the presence of severa! Hindu temples. The most peculìar characteristic of the brick masonry is a special construction technique where the horizontal and vertical bonds between bricks are so tight that they hardly show as real joints. Where this bond ìs stili preserved no bìodeterioration ìs noticed on the surface of the wall, nor does biodeterioratìon penetrate inside the wall, as was the case with restored or cracked masonry. In order to carry out initial research on the masonry materi­ als some samples were taken during visits in 2000 and 200 I .A wide range of tests was carried out to characterise the properties of the bricks, the brick assemblages, and the binder or glue used between the bricks in the joims. The results increased knowledge and enabled better hypotheses to be made about the materia!, construction techniques, and the chemical nature of the joints used for group G of the buildings.