Rare Ctesiphon Hut Found In Fife

Hi GRW.
You will note at the first paragraph of the last page of the Royal Engineers Journal article I posted above an explanation for the crack in the hut.

It is interesting to note that while the rope has disintegrated over time the cement encapsulated hessian looks like it did on the day it was covered.

Thus the Australian name for this composite material "petrified hessian"

 

I'm about to build my first one, so will check the hessian/ burlap etc when I purchased it. My favourite auntie died from mesothelioma. She got it from contamination in the hospital she worked at.

We have about 700 deaths a year from mesothelioma in Australia.

 

Wow, just learnt that per capita UK has a higher mesothelioma death rate than Australia. I guess you guys spend longer inside dwellings?

I am surprised!

Mesothelioma statistics

 

Yep, the climate's a lot damper! Think the building industry only stopped using Asbestos in any shape or form in the early '80s.
Hadn't thought about the rope in the expansion joint, might well have been ripped out by kids.