Travertine-based estimates of the amount of water supplied by ancient Rome's Anio Novus aqueduct

Keenan-Jones, D. , Motta, D., Garcia, M. H. and Fouke, B. W. (2015) Travertine-based estimates of the amount of water supplied by ancient Rome's Anio Novus aqueduct. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 3, pp. 1-10. (doi: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2015.05.006)

Abstract

Although popular with modern scholars, ancient flow rate measurements in Rome's aqueducts are unreliable since they only recorded flow section, not velocity. Use of limestone deposits — called travertine — as a record of wetted perimeter, enabled the first estimation of actual flows in Rome's Anio Novus aqueduct. Final flows reaching Rome, in the presence of thick travertine deposits, were significantly smaller, at 1.4 ± 0.4 m3/s (120,960 ± 34,560 m3/day), than previous maximum and minimum estimates. Lack of maintenance and/or changes in water use may have contributed to this difference. Even minimal travertine reduced the maximum flow rate by ~ 25%.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Financial support was provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities, the Italian Government, the late Dr. William and Mrs. Janet Gale, Macquarie University and the British Academy/ British School at Rome.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Keenan-Jones, Dr Duncan
• Authors: Keenan-Jones, D., Motta, D., Garcia, M. H., and Fouke, B. W.
• Subjects: C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology; D History General and Old World > DE The Mediterranean Region. The Greco-Roman World; D History General and Old World > DG Italy
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Classics
• Journal Name: Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 2352-409X
• Published Online: 23 May 2015