Sponsored by: Archaeological Institute of America
Aqueducts were vital to the existence of ancient Greek and Roman cities. The ancient builders had to design and maintain the pipelines without the aid of computer simulation and without remote-monitoring systems. Yet, the success of these cities and the survival of their aqueducts is testament to the ability of the builders to design these structures properly and to keep them in good operating condition.
It is the first century CE. The governor of the fictitious Roman province Terra Nova has tasked us to supply the equally fictitious town of Milopolis with water. We will follow the steps involved in building an aqueduct, from the exploration of a suitable source to the final distribution in the urban centre, by following the scant information in the works of Vitruvius, Frontinus, and Pliny, as well as clues from inscriptions and archaeological remains.
Short bibliography and/or website on lecture topic:
Hodge, A.T. 2002. Roman Aqueducts and Water Supply. London: Duckworth.
Wikander, Ö. 2000. Handbook of Ancient Water Technology. Leiden: Brill.
Please note, this lecture has been canceled.
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