Understanding a sentence from

tapas tapas

New member
Understanding a sentence from

an archeology book. I read this from an archeology book and I don't understand what does it describe: "The pavement consists of fifteen courses of burnt brick, all, apparently, laid in mud mortar" This is part of a description of a room (shrine), and I don't understand what it describe. Does it describe the bricks or tiles of the floor? then what does the fifteen courses mean? I don't think it describe the lines or rows of the tiles or bricks. Because later on it is written that: "the top step is overlaid with bitumen which runs back 0.9 m from the edge of the tread and then breaks off in a fairly straight line, and the rest of the floor surface is of rough brick; but between the pavement and the side walls there are trickles of bitumen and a few drops of bitumen show here and there between the bricks; there must have been, therefore, further courses of brickwork and a top-dressing of bitumen, and the present condition is due to the same systematic plundering as has removed a greater proportion of the pavement of Shrine A. As the bitumen spread over the brickwork would not trickle down very far between the joints, it is not necessary to assume that more than two courses have disappeared" Again, I do not understand what the courses are. I am sorry that I am asking you to help me with my work, but I am really getting desperate to understand this part. Thank you.
 

tapas tapas

New member
Correctly aligned (hopefully)

an archeology book. I read this from an archeology book and I don't understand what does it describe: "The pavement consists of fifteen courses of burnt brick, all, apparently, laid in mud mortar" This is part of a description of a room (shrine), and I don't understand what it describe. Does it describe the bricks or tiles of the floor? then what does the fifteen courses mean? I don't think it describe the lines or rows of the tiles or bricks. Because later on it is written that: "the top step is overlaid with bitumen which runs back 0.9 m from the edge of the tread and then breaks off in a fairly straight line, and the rest of the floor surface is of rough brick; but between the pavement and the side walls there are trickles of bitumen and a few drops of bitumen show here and there between the bricks; there must have been, therefore, further courses of brickwork and a top-dressing of bitumen, and the present condition is due to the same systematic plundering as has removed a greater proportion of the pavement of Shrine A. As the bitumen spread over the brickwork would not trickle down very far between the joints, it is not necessary to assume that more than two courses have disappeared" Again, I do not understand what the courses are. I am sorry that I am asking you to help me with my work, but I am really getting desperate to understand this part.​
 

lol lypop

New member
Pavement means floor

Courses, in that sentence, is most likely an uncommen unit of measurement. I think whoever wrote it wanted to say that from one side od the wall to the other. It may also mean levels of how many bricks are on top of each other. Another idea...Pavement usually refers to floor outside, maybe you have two different floors being described (like, one in the room, the one that is actually called floor, and another outside of the room...) and it's a pleasure to have someone asking for help in English in this forum for once
 
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