Sticky rice mortar facts for kids
Sticky rice mortar is a special type of building material invented in ancient China. It was made by mixing sticky rice with other natural materials. In ancient China, they didn't have a strong, waterproof mortar like modern cement. This was possibly because they lacked a certain type of volcanic ash needed for it.
Around the year 500 AD, Chinese builders found a clever solution. They mixed a soup made from sticky rice with slaked lime (a type of chalky powder). This mixture created a super-strong mortar that was much better than regular lime mortar. It was also very good at keeping water out.
Sticky rice mortar was key to making famous structures last a long time. It helped keep the Great Wall, old tombs, tall pagodas, and city walls strong for centuries. This special mortar stuck very well, was tough, kept water out, and even stopped weeds from growing between the bricks! It was so strong that it could even be compared to modern cement.
Building with Sticky Rice Mortar
During the Ming dynasty (from 1368 to 1644 AD), people in China became much better at making bricks. They could make more bricks and better quality ones. Because of this, many parts of the Great Wall were built using these new bricks. Sticky rice mortar was used to hold these bricks together. It made the walls so strong they could stand up to earthquakes and even modern bulldozers!
The Secret Ingredient
Scientists today have studied sticky rice mortar to understand why it's so strong. They found that a special part of rice, called amylopectin, is responsible. Amylopectin is a type of polysaccharide, which is a complex carbohydrate found in rice and other starchy foods. This sticky substance is what gives the mortar its amazing strength and ability to last for a very long time.
See also
In Spanish: Mortero de cal con arroz para niños
