ABSTRACT
Earth construction techniques recorded for the second part of the 17th century in South Africa, used by ethnical groups and early colonial settlers (from the Dutch and British colonial epochs) utilized mainly natural stone, sods and adobe for the construction of wall elements. The introduction of rammed earth (traditionally un-stabilized pisé de terre) in southern Africa only arrived in the early 20th century from Europe. The authors would like to refer to soil-cement, since traditional European rammed earth was either un-stabilized or occasionally stabilized with 5-8% lime. Traditional rammed earth is not considered a local South African vernacular technique.
