Latin word for naturally occurring semisolid hydrocarbon (petroleum). Bitumen springs were found in several palaces in Mesopotamia, and the substance (kupru or ittu in Akkadian) was used primarily for waterproofing vessels and containers, as well as in construction. It also served to attach ax heads and similar tools to their shafts. Although the Bible reports the Babylonians used “pitch instead of mortar” (Genesis 11:3), this material was only used when protection from rising damp was necessary, such as in buildings near waterways or in large structures such as ziggurats. Coatings of bitumen plaster made walls watertight, a practice documented in Old Babylonian Ur.
See also ARCHITECTURE; BUILDING MATERIALS.
Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia. EdwART. 2012.