In Vitruvium Pompeianum
Urban Water Distribution Reappraised
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4994979 |
|---|---|
| Authors | A Trevor Hodges, A Trevor Hodge (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1996 |
| Volume | 100 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 261-276 |
| Publication date | 1996-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9114 • E-ISSN: 1939-828X |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2307/506904 |
| OpenAlex | W2314628939 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 1 |
This study centers on the castellum divisorium at Pompeii. The pipes delivering water to the city are far too large to have been filled by the small aqueduct, while within the castellum the arrangements for dividing up the water, restored on the basis of Vitruvius's prescription, are shown mathematically to be quite impractical. It is thus proposed that the sluice gates were removed in turn, leaving all the water to fill one pipe, with the other two being left dry, thus instituting a system of water rationing by time. In urban distribution, a typical Pompeian feature is the secondary castellum, mounted on brick piers throughout the city. These would thus become storage tanks, serving local needs when the main supply was shut off, so it is suggested that taps (commonly found in Pompeii) were used to regulate demand and use. This system may have been peculiar to Pompeii, designed to meet local needs, and should not be taken (as it generally has been) as a model of standard Roman urban practice
Aqueduct · Archaeology · Brick · Civil engineering · Geography · Shut down · Sluice · Water supply · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Engineering · Environmental Engineering · Water management and technologies
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.2 |
| Citation span | 1996 - 2022 (27) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |