How did adobe brickmaking reach southern North America?

The practice of adobe brickmaking reached the southern portion of North America primarily through the Spanish, who introduced the specific technique and the use of molds to the region.12

While indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere had long utilized earth for construction—often by hand-manipulating plastic clay into courses—the Spanish brought the formal art of adobe brickmaking to the area. The term itself has a long linguistic history: it originated from the Coptic word tōbe used by descendants of the ancient Egyptians, which was later transmitted by the Arabs to the Spaniards.23

In arid and semiarid climates, this method of using sun-dried bricks made from a mixture of clay, sand, and silt proved highly effective for insulation. By utilizing molds to shape these bricks, the Spanish helped standardize the construction process, which remains a significant architectural feature in the American Southwest today.13