unmortared
Lacking binding paste
Unmortared describes masonry laid without mortar—the paste that typically binds stones or bricks together.
An unmortared wall relies on the weight and fit of its stones alone: The old unmortared stone fence had stood for centuries.
The term appears in descriptions of dry-stone construction and archaeological sites.
Stonework without mortar
- fieldstoneUncut natural building stones
- stackedArranged in a heap
- freestandingNot attached to anything
- interlockingEngaging by overlap
fitted · coursed · rubble · walling · cobblestone · flagstone · boulders · rockery
Prone to sudden change
- shiftingChanging position or form
- settlingReaching resolution or rest
- flexibleAble to bend freely
- yieldingBending under pressure
permeable · drainage · breathable · frost-resistant · load-bearing · unbound · unsecured · unfixed
Made of separable units
- prefabricatedManufactured in advance
- relocatableAble to be moved
- collapsibleAble to compress compactly
- detachableAble to be unfastened
removable · portable · dismantlable · reassembled · stackable · provisional · makeshift · impermanent
Small rural home
- pastoralOf countryside or clergy care
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- handcraftedMade manually, not machined
- artisanalMade by skilled craftspeople
heritage · vernacular · farmstead · country · quaint · bucolic · picturesque · old-world
Decayed structural remains
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
- cyclopeanMassive and primitively constructed
- neolithicFinal Stone Age period
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
megalithic · dolmens · menhirs · monoliths · ziggurats · pyramids · stelae · fortifications
drystone
Stonework without mortar
- fieldstoneUncut natural building stones
- stackedArranged in a heap
- freestandingNot attached to anything
interlocking · fitted · coursed · rubble · walling · cobblestone · flagstone · boulders · rockery · granite
unstable
Prone to sudden change
yielding · permeable · drainage · breathable · frost-resistant · load-bearing · unbound · unsecured · unfixed · gaps
modular
Made of separable units
- prefabricatedManufactured in advance
- relocatableAble to be moved
- collapsibleAble to compress compactly
detachable · removable · portable · dismantlable · reassembled · stackable · provisional · makeshift · impermanent · ephemeral
cottage
Small rural home
- pastoralOf countryside or clergy care
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- handcraftedMade manually, not machined
artisanal · heritage · vernacular · farmstead · country · quaint · bucolic · picturesque · old-world · timeworn
ruins
Decayed structural remains
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
- cyclopeanMassive and primitively constructed
- neolithicFinal Stone Age period
prehistoric · megalithic · dolmens · menhirs · monoliths · ziggurats · pyramids · stelae · fortifications · ramparts