Roman Aqueducts

Good architects and engineers combine the needs of human beings with qualities of intellect and imagination, as well as technical expertise to create functional structures that also are works of art. For example, ancient Roman aqueducts provided the function of transporting water in the form of simple, yet elegant, layered arches.

An aqueduct is an artificial channel through which water is conducted to the place where it is used. Most aqueducts of ancient times were built of stone, brick or pozzuolana, a mixture of limestone and volcanic dust. Rome had many aqueducts and was the only ancient city reasonably supplied with water. By A.D. 97, nine aqueducts brought about 85 million gallons of water a day from mountain springs. Later, five others were built. About 200 cities in the Roman colonies had aqueducts.