Wattle and Daub

building · ancient construction · clever · mud

Woven wooden strips. The first part of wattle and daub is called wattle, which is a lattice or crisscross pattern made from flexible wooden branches woven together like a basket.

Sticky mud coating. Then builders smear daub (a mixture of mud, clay, sand, and straw) all over the wattle to fill the gaps and create solid walls that keep out wind and rain.

Ancient and timeless. People have been building with wattle and daub for more than 6,000 years, which means this method has been used since ancient times and people still use it today in many parts of the world.

Still used today. You can visit historic buildings made with wattle and daub in Europe and other places, and families in some countries still build homes this way because it works well and uses materials that are easy to find.

Surprisingly strong. Even though it looks simple, wattle and daub creates durable buildings that can last hundreds of years if they're taken care of properly.