The Romans, Water and Civilization

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It is not unusual to read a headline about a water pipe bursting in a city, leaving thousands without water. In the 21st century, this situation is an extreme inconvenience for people. Most people take for granted that fresh water will come out of their faucet every time they turn it on. It is hard to imagine a time when people did not have running water in their houses. How did human civilization arrive at this point? Believe it or not, it was the Romans who started the world on a path that led to indoor plumbing in every home today.

The Roman Civilization thrived from about 750 B.C. to 500 A.D. Arguably one of the greatest civilizations of all time, the Roman Empire covered the entire European continent and beyond. The Romans made advancements in almost every aspect of life including, "art, architecture and engineering, language and writing, and philosophy, law and citizenship," (Alavosus 15).

Many people consider the achievements of the Romans in engineering to be the greatest legacy of the Roman Empire. Engineering flourished during this time because the Romans created tools and techniques that helped them be successful builders. They built thousands of miles of roads that included tunnels and bridges. Roman engineers developed tools for leveling, measuring, and aligning. Most importantly, they created concrete which allowed them to build massive arches, vaults, and domes. With these engineering skills, they were able to build large scale structures such as bridges and aqueducts. One of the legacies of Roman engineering is the aqueduct, which has been used throughout history to provide for the growth of civilizations by providing fresh drinking water and water for agriculture.

Historians believe that primiti...

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...e has been the role of the aqueduct since the Roman engineers developed it. “… aqueducts enabled human civilization to grow and spread on a much larger scale than would have been possible without such technologies, and they are just as vital today as they were at the dawn of civilization,” (Aqueducts 1). Aqueducts will continue as important roles in the transportation of fresh water to modern cities for the foreseeable future. As technologies and materials advance, aqueducts will adapt to these changes. However, the concept of supplying water to a city in need will not change. “Water acquisition and distribution systems are unquestionably among the most important technologies that humans possess. Although water systems are typically ignored and taken for granted, they enable myriads of other technologies and activities within human societies,” (Aqueducts 1).

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