Editing Ancient Roman architecture (section)

=== Roman brick ===
{{Main|Roman brick}}
[[File:Gariannonum Burgh Castle south wall well preserved close up.jpg|thumb|Close-up view of the wall of the Roman [[Saxon Shore|shore fort]] at [[Burgh Castle (Roman fortification)|Burgh Castle]], Norfolk, showing alternating courses of [[flint]] and brickwork]]
[[File:Храм_Свети_Великомъченик_Георги_Победоносец.jpg|thumb|The [[Church of St. George, Sofia|St. George Rotunda]] (4th century) and remains of [[Serdica]], [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]]]]
The Romans made [[Roman brick|fired clay bricks]] from about the beginning of the Empire, replacing earlier sun-dried [[mudbrick]]. Roman brick was almost invariably of a lesser height than modern brick, but was made in a variety of different shapes and sizes.{{sfn|Juracek|1996|p=310}} Shapes included square, rectangular, triangular and round, and the largest bricks found have measured over three feet in length.{{sfn|Peet|1911|pp=35–36}} Ancient Roman bricks had a general size of 1½ [[Foot (unit of length)#Historical origin|Roman feet]] by 1 Roman foot, but common variations up to 15 inches existed. Other brick sizes in ancient Rome included 24" x 12" x 4", and 15" x 8" x 10". Ancient Roman bricks found in France measured 8" x 8" x 3". The [[Aula Palatina|Constantine Basilica]] in [[Trier]] is constructed from Roman bricks 15" square by 1½" thick.{{sfn|Walters|Birch|1905|p=330–40}} There is often little obvious difference (particularly when only fragments survive) between Roman bricks used for walls on the one hand, and [[Imbrex and tegula|tiles]] used for roofing or flooring on the other, so archaeologists sometimes prefer to employ the generic term [[ceramic building material]] (CBM).

The Romans perfected brick-making during the first century of their empire and used it ubiquitously, in public and private construction alike. They took their brickmaking skills everywhere they went, introducing the craft to the local populations.{{sfn|Walters|Birch|1905|p=330–40}} The [[Roman legion]]s, which operated their own [[kiln]]s, introduced bricks to many parts of the Empire; bricks are often stamped with the mark of the legion that supervised their production. The use of bricks in southern and western Germany, for example, can be traced to traditions already described by the Roman architect [[Vitruvius]]. In the [[British Isles]], the introduction of Roman brick by the ancient Romans was followed by a 600–700 year gap in major brick production.