Do you know that powdered animal bones were used rampantly to protect the walls of fortresses or massive buildings once? If you do not know, don’t get shocked since this is a reality. This was a common feature during the rule of the Moors in Spain and it is said that lots of such specimens can still be found among Moorish architecture if painstaking researches are done. Moors happen to be the Muslim people of North Africa who were of mixed Arab and Berber descent and converted to Islam in the 8th century. They did conquer Spain for centuries beginning in the 8th century and are still known for their vandalism and intolerance.
How did this sensational revelation take place? Well, it was the result of a chance discovery of a medieval clay oven in the walls of the fortresses close to the Alhambra Palace in southern Spain. What message does this discovery bring to the fore? According to the consideration of Carolina Cardell, the Geologist of Granada University and also responsible for heading the scientific research project at the very site, the findings make the contemporary society realize how powdered bones were used in protective coats or patinas in Moorish architecture. Have you ever seen any example of Moorish Architecture? It was a style of architecture common in Spain from the 13th to 16th centuries and was characterized by horseshoe-shaped arches.
There is no doubt that the discovery has also astounded the study or fact-finding group since they used to think that this method was widely used in Greek, Roman and Celtic structures but not in any Moorish building. What was the necessity behind the use of powdered bones? As indicated by the researchers, there, surely, would have been a belief that bone powder would strengthen the wall's coating better than any other substance.
Last but not least, the researchers seem to be confident that the bone powder, generally from pigs, may have been used in other Moorish structures in the area.
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