Opus craticum

Opus craticum or craticii is an ancient Roman construction technique described by Vitruvius in his books De architectura as wattlework which is plastered over.

[1] Vitruvius disparaged this building technique as a grave fire risk, likely to have cracked plaster, and not durable.

Scholarly confusion exists[3][4] since the term opus craticium is also used for the Roman building technique very similar, but not identified as being directly related to half-timbering, a timber framework with the wall infill of stones in mortar called opus incertum.

[5][6] This building, which was constructed some time in the first century or earlier, was reconstructed at Herculaneum's Insula III, nos.

At least since the 13th century, this type of construction, common in Europe, was called half-timbered in English, Fachwerk (framework) in German, entramado de madera in Spanish, and colombage in French.