More than a millennium since the fall of the Roman Empire, its monumental structures endure. Wonders like the dome of the Pantheon stand strong while modern concrete crumbles within decades. How did the ancients accomplish what we cannot? Ancient texts prompt experimentation and pretenders make false claims of rediscovery. Today, science sees promise in Roman concrete’s impurities. Are minerals the key to its self-healing? New studies lead to a volcanic coastline, where ash provides a clue…
