ABSTRACT
The timbrel vault is a construction system that was widely used in the Iberian Peninsula from the late Middle Ages and from there spread to other European areas, as well as to the United States. However, the origins of this vault remain a matter of debate. Undoubtedly, its historical and geographical route is related to other construction systems that avoided the use of formwork such as leafed vaults, which were more abundant in different geographic areas and historical periods. In this regard, the study of some Iranian vaults that combine both procedures (timbrel and ribs of vertical bricks) is particularly interesting. They are, to our knowledge, the oldest examples of this construction technique. We analyse its early use as auxiliary means for the construction of the rest of the vault in which other materials such as adobe were used.
