Discovery at Pompeii Confirms Long-Lost Secret That Built the Roman Empire

Archaeologists have made a discovery among the ruins of Pompeii that reveals how the Romans built their lavish empire.

The team uncovered a construction site, untouched by the eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius volcano in 79 AD, revealing the ingredients and methods behind the durable self-healing that the ancient Romans used to revolutionize architecture.

Scientists have long been baffled by the techniques and materials used by the civilization, which allowed structures like the Pantheon and Colosseum to last over 2,000 years.

Now, the Pompeii discovery showed the Romans used a technique called 'hot mixing' in which a material called quicklime, dry limestone that was previously heated, is combined directly with water and a blend of volcanic rock and ash, producing a chemical reaction that naturally heats the mixture. 

The ancient construction site featured several rooms, containing building materials and pieces of common ceramics, set aside for reuse in the ongoing restoration work on the walls.

The Romans industrialized concrete, beginning in the first century BC and AD.