A condensation of the author's book, <i>Ocherki istorii vyazhushchikh veshestv ot dreveishikh vremem do serediny XIX veka (A history of cementing materials from antiquity to the mid-19th century), Moscow and Leningrad, 1963. Covers structural mineral binding or cementing materials used in architecture and building around the world, from the 4th century B.C. To modern times. Includes chemistry of the binders, and gives results of experimental study on archaeological cement, mortar and concrete samples.