Roman engineering

This paper presents a study of The Aqueduct of Salona (capital of the Roman province Dalmatia) built in the 1st century BC. The aqueduct once transported water from the Jadro river spring, situated approximately 3 km east from the city. Even though it was built for the city of 15 ha in size, two centuries later it succeeded in managing the supply and demand of water for the city of 73 ha. In the 7th century Salona was destroyed by the Avars and Slavs, consequently aqueduct ceased to function. Due to intensive exploitation of marlstone and uncontrolled urbanization in the 20th century, some of the aqueduct sections were destroyed. The research of Salona and its aqueduct started as early as the mid-19th century, however, the aqueduct and its route have never been systematically explored until 2014/2015. This paper provides the results and findings of the latest research including the following: the route of the aqueduct, its longitudinal profile, capacity and typical cross-sections, and the method of construction in different terrain conditions. The channel was built in the usual manner in accordance with the practice of Roman builders, using local materials. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW The ruins of the ancient city of Salona, the largest Roman city on the east Adriatic coast, are located 5 kilometers north of the city of Split, in the area of the town Solin (Figure 1). The city was built in a very convenient place: in the middle of the Adriatic coast, in a well-protected part of the Kaštela Bay, at the mouth of the river Jadro surrounded by large fertile fields. It is only 4 kilometers far from the passage to the inland and 3 kilometers far from the Jadro river spring, characterized by good water quality, large capacity and favorable elevation in relation to Salona. The earliest traces of human presence in Salona area date back to the late Bronze Age (Šuta, 2012). During the Iron Age the Jadro river mouth with the isle Vranjic was an important port and the point of contact of indigenous Illyrian tribe Delmatae with Mediterranean world. Delmatian fortified settlements were located on elevated positions around the port (Katić, 2010).

Il presente contributo riguarda il percorso di alcuni antichi acquedotti romani (Anio Vetus, Aqua Tepula-Iulia, Aqua Marcia, Aqua Claudia, Anio Novus) all’interno dell’area compresa tra via Tuscolana e le Capannelle, con particolare riguardo alla località Gregna di Sant’Andrea. E’ stata realizzata una nuova carta con il percorso delle antiche condotte (fig. 1), che corregge in buona parte la precedente cartografia. Il lavoro nasce dallo studio integrato dei dati tratti dalla consultazione degli archivi della Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma, della precedente bibliografia, quale l’opera sugli acquedotti di T. Asbhy “The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome”, e delle fonti antiche (Frontino e la sua De aquaeductu urbis Romae).
Parole chiave: Acquedotti romani, topografia antica, archeologia romana, cartografia.
Abstract
This paper deals with a number of ancient Roman aqueducts (Anio Vetus, Aqua Tepula-Iulia, Aqua Marcia, Aqua Claudia, Anio Novus) crossing the area between the via Tuscolana and the via Capannelle, with a particular focus on the locality of Gregna di Sant’Andrea. We present a new map of the tracts of these ancient conduits (fig. 1), correcting previous cartography. The contribution is essentially based on data deriving from the consultation of documents in the archive of the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma with as main bibliographical references “The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome” by T. Ashby and De aquaeductu urbis Romae by the ancient author Frontinus.
Keywords: Roman aqueducts, ancient topography, Roman archaeology, cartography.

The full form of this article will be displayed in Academia beginning from January 1, 2025, as it can be filed on freely accessible online archives no earlier than one year after the release of its journal. Please e-mail me for obtaining this brief article before 2025: elafli@yahoo.ca

Abstract: In this brief paper we will focus on six dams of the Roman period in Asia Minor, respectively Seleucia Pieria and Ancyra, which are presented here in some outlines. The aim of this article is to introduce these ancient engineering monuments all together.
Keywords: Dams, Asia Minor, Turkey,  Aqua Sarvenae, Seleucia Pieria, Ancyra, Roman engineering, Roman architecture, Roman archaeology in the East.

Esta publicación sobre los acueductos romanos de la Península Ibérica es el resultado de varios años de investigación de muchos colegas, españoles y portugueses, quienes en los últimos tiempos han ido aumentando nuestro conocimiento sobre estas conducciones a través de la arqueología, la epigrafía, la historia y la ingeniería. El libro, que ha tenido a bien publicar la Fundación Juanelo Turriano, no solo sirve para compilar en una obra todos estos datos que estaban dispersos por multitud de publicaciones (muchas de ellas inéditas), sino que esperamos que el formato en forma de fichas catalográficas facilite el manejo y la consulta. El contenido del libro está estructurado en dos grandes partes: una primera en la que se introduce el estudio de los acueductos, tanto desde un punto de vista histórico/arqueológico como desde la ingeniería, y se trata de enmarcarlos en su contexto histórico; y una segunda parte que corresponde al catálogo de acueductos (con 66 en total) ordenados geográficamente. En los apéndices se tabulan los datos más relevantes sobre estas conducciones para una mejor y más fácil visión comparativa. Hemos querido que la información fuera complementada con un fuerte aparato gráfico –tanto planimetrías como fotografías de los restos excavados o existentes– esperando que éste ayude a comprender e ilustrar mejor el texto.

Se analiza la evolución urbanística de Segovia celtibérica y romana, entre los ss. IV a.C. y V d.C., desde las investigaciones arqueológicas más recientes. Se aportan nuevos datos sobre la cronología de construcción de las arcuationes del Acueducto, desde el análisis de las excavaciones de las fosas de fundación de las pilas del Azoguejo.