List of Roman dams and reservoirs
This is alist of Roman dams and reservoirs.The study ofRomandam-buildinghas received little scholarly attention in comparison to their othercivil engineering activities,[1]even though their contributions in this field have been ranked alongside their expertise in constructing the well-knownRoman aqueducts,bridges,androads.[2]
Roman dam construction began in earnest in theearly imperial period.[3]For the most part, it concentrated on the semi-arid fringe of the empire, namely the provinces ofNorth Africa,theNear East,andHispania.[4]The relative abundance of Spanish dams below is due partly to more intensive field work there; forItalyonly theSubiaco Dams,created by emperorNero(54–68 AD) for recreational purposes, are attested.[5]These dams are noteworthy, though, for their extraordinary height, which remained unsurpassed anywhere in the world until theLate Middle Ages.[3]
The most frequent dam types were earth- or rock-filledembankment damsand masonrygravity dams.[6]These served a wide array of purposes, such asirrigation,flood control,river diversion, soil-retention, or a combination of these functions.[7]In this, Roman engineering did not differ fundamentally from the practices of olderhydraulicsocieties.
"The Romans' ability to plan and organise engineering construction on a grand scale" gave their dam construction special distinction.[8]Their engineering prowess, therefore, facilitated the construction of large and novelreservoir dams,which secured a permanentwater supplyfor urban settlements even during the dry season, a common concept today, but little-understood and -employed in ancient times.[9]
The impermeability of Roman dams was increased by the introduction of waterproof hydraulicmortarand especiallyRoman concretein theRoman architectural revolution.These materials also allowed for bigger structures to be built,[8]like theLake Homs Dam,possibly the largest water barrier to date,[10]and the sturdyHarbaqa Dam,both of which consist of a concrete core.
On the whole, Roman dam engineering displayed a high degree of completeness and innovativeness.[8]While hitherto dams relied solely on their heavy weight to resist the thrust of water, Roman builders were the first to realize the stabilizing effect ofarchesandbuttresses,which they integrated into their dam designs. Previously unknown dam types introduced by the Romans include:
The origin of the so-calledweirbridges, which were to become a popular design inIranthereafter, can also be traced to the forced labour of Roman prisoners of war (seeBand-e Kaisar).[15]
List
[edit]This list is sorted by maximum height. All measurements are inm;in case of differing values, more recent respectively more detailed studies were given preference. In earth dams, thickness refers to the masonry wall.
Height | Thickness | Crest length | Name | Country | Date | Type / Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 | 13.5 | 70? | Subiaco Dams[16] | Italy | 54–68 AD | Gravity dam.Devised as pleasure lake forNero,the dam was the highest in theRoman Empire,[17]and in the world until its destruction in 1305.[3] |
34.0 | 38.0 | 120.0 | Almonacid de la Cuba Dam[18] | Spain | 1st c. | Gravity dam |
28.0 | 26.0 | 194.0 | Cornalvo Dam[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Gravity dam,still in use |
21.6 | 5.9 | 427.8 | Proserpina Dam[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Gravity dam,still in use |
21 | ? | 365 | Harbaqa Dam[19] | Syria | 2nd c. | Gravity dam |
20.0 | 4.0? | >800.0 | Alcantarilla Dam[18] | Spain | 2nd c. BC | Gravity dam |
16.6 | 6.9 | 80.0 | Ermita de la Virgen del Pilar Dam[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Gravity dam |
16 | ? | 40 | Orükaya[20] | Turkey | 2nd c. | Arch-gravity dam[21] |
13.0 | 7.0? | 60.0 | Muel Dam[18] | Spain | 1st c. | Gravity dam |
12 | 3.9 | 18 | Glanum Dam[22] | France | 1st c. BC | Arch dam,earliest known[12] |
12 | ? | 130 | Löstügun[23] | Turkey | 6th c. | Gravity dam |
10 | 7.3 | 150 | Kasserine Dam[24] | Tunisia | 2nd c. | Arch-gravity dam[21] |
8.4 | 2.7 | 68.0 | La Pared de los Moros[18] | Spain | 3rd c. | Gravity dam |
7.0 | 2.0 | 50.0 | Arroyo Salado[18] | Spain | ? | Gravity dam |
7 | 20 | 2000 | Lake of Homs dam[25] | Syria | 3rd c. | Gravity dam,largest artificial reservoir to date (capacity of 90 million m³), still in use[10] |
7 | ? | 193 | Ma'agan Michael (West)[23] | Israel | 4th c. | Gravity dam |
7 | ? | 80 | Çavdarhisar[20] | Turkey | 2nd c. | Arch-gravity dam[21] |
7 | ? | 50 | Roman dam of Belas[26] | Portugal | 2nd c. | Gravity dam |
~6.1 | ? | ? | Qasr Khubbaz[27] | Syria | ? | ? |
6.0? | 3.0 | 50.0 | Arévalo[18] | Spain | 2nd c. | Gravity dam |
5.6 | 2.2 | 320.0 | Esparragalejo Dam[18] | Spain | 1st c. | Multiple-arch buttress dam,earliest known[14] |
5.2 | 1.9 | 95.0 | Las Tomas[18] | Spain | 4th c. | Buttress dam |
5 | ? | 91 | Wadi Megenin[28] | Libya | 2nd c. | Buttress dam |
4.8 | 2.6 | >632.0 | Consuegra Dam[18] | Spain | 3rd–4th c. | Buttress dam |
4.6 | 4.2 | 174 | Muro Dam[29] | Portugal | ? | ? |
4.5 | 2.7 | 141.1 | El Paredón[18] | Spain | 3rd c. | Gravity dam |
4.5 | 2.5 | 19.5 | Melque VI[18] | Spain | ? | Gravity dam |
>4.0 | 1.0 | 102.0 | Lower Iturranduz Dam[18] | Spain | 2nd c. | Buttress dam |
4.0 | 5.6 | 100.0 | La Pesquera[18] | Spain | ? | Gravity dam |
4 | ? | 300 | Böget[20] | Turkey | 2nd c. | Gravity dam |
3.7 | 1.8 | 139.0 | Araya[18] | Spain | 2nd c. | Buttress dam |
3.6 | 3.5 | 97.8 | Vega de Sta. María[18] | Spain | ? | Buttress dam |
3.5 | 2.0 | 40.0 | Arroyo Bejarano[18] | Spain | 1st c. | Gravity dam |
>3.0 | 3.0 | 170.0 | Charca de Valverde[18] | Spain | ? | Gravity dam |
3.0 | 3.4 | 200.0 | Las Muelas[18] | Spain | 2nd c. | Buttress dam |
3.0 | 3.0? | 29.0 | Azud de la Rechuela[18] | Spain | ? | Buttress dam |
3.0 | 2.3 | 30.0 | Les Parets Antiques[18] | Spain | 3rd–4th c. | Gravity dam |
3.0 | 2.2 | 150.0 | Villafranca[18] | Spain | 2nd–3rd c. | Buttress dam |
3.0 | 2.9 | 40.0 | Roman Dam of Pego da Moura | Portugal | ? | Buttress dam |
3.0 | 1.8 | 98.0 | Mesa de Valhermoso[18] | Spain | 2nd–3rd c. | Gravity dam |
3.0 | 1.5 | 30.0 | Castillo de Bayuela[18] | Spain | 2nd–3rd c. | Buttress dam |
3.0? | ? | ? | San Martín de la Montiña[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Gravity dam |
2.5 | 5.0 | 100.0 | Cañada del Huevo[18] | Spain | 2nd c. | Buttress dam |
2.5 | 1.5 | 25.0 | Pineda o Ca'La Verda[18] | Spain | 3rd c. | Gravity dam |
2.4 | 1.2 | 80.0 | Paerón I[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Gravity dam |
2.2 | 1.0 | 15.0 | Palomera Baja[18] | Spain | 3rd c. | Gravity dam |
2.2? | 1.0? | 30.0? | El Peral[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Gravity dam |
2.1 | 1.9 | 40.8 | Moracantá[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Gravity dam |
>2.0 | 2.5 | 80.0 | Los Paredones[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Gravity dam |
>2.0 | 0.8 | 52.0–180? | La Cuba[18] | Spain | 2nd–3rd c. | Gravity dam |
2 | 10–12 | 516 | Band-e Kaisar[30] | Iran | 3rd c. | Gravity dam,earliest dam-bridge (weircombined witharch bridge)[15] |
2.0 | 1.0 | 56.0 | Puy Foradado Dam[18] | Spain | 2nd–3rd c. | Arch-gravity dam[18] |
1.6 | ? | ? | Las Mezquitas[18] | Spain | 2nd c. | Gravity dam |
>1.5 | 1.1 | 30.0 | Paerón II[18] | Spain | 1st–2nd c. | Buttress dam |
1.5 | 0.8 | 35.0 | El Pont d'Armentera[18] | Spain | 2nd–4th c. | Gravity dam |
1.3 | 1.6 | 230.0 | El Hinojal (Las Tiendas)[18] | Spain | 3rd–4th c. | Buttress dam |
1.3 | 1.4 | 14.7 | El Argamasón[18] | Spain | 2nd–3rd c. | Gravity dam |
1.2 | 2.4 | 30.0 | Balsa de Cañaveral[18] | Spain | 4th c. | Gravity dam |
1.1 | 0.7 | 13.4 | Río Frío[18] | Spain | 1st c. | Gravity dam |
>0.9 | 0.7 | 7.6 | El Peral II[18] | Spain | ? | Buttress dam |
0.9 | 0.7 | 40.0 | Azud de los Moros[18] | Spain | 1st c. | Gravity dam |
>0.8 | 1.6 | 60.0–80.0 | Valencia del Ventoso[18] | Spain | 3rd–4th c. | Gravity dam |
>0.8 | 1.1 | 50.0 | El Chaparral[18] | Spain | 3rd–4th c. | Gravity dam |
? | 0.7 | 150.0 | Higher Iturranduz Dam[18] | Spain | 3rd–4th c. | Buttress dam |
? | ? | ? | Leptis Magna(Wadi Caam I)[31] | Libya | 2nd–3rd c.? | ? |
? | ? | 900 | Leptis Magna(Wadi Caam II)[31] | Libya | 2nd–3rd c.? | ? |
? | ? | ? | Leptis Magna(Wadi Lebda)[32] | Libya | 2nd–3rd c.? | Buttressed dam |
? | ? | ? | Las Adelfas[18] | Spain | 2nd c. | Gravity dam |
? | ? | ? | Monroy[18] | Spain | ? | Gravity dam |
? | ? | ? | Odrón y Linares[18] | Spain | ? | Gravity dam |
? | ? | ? | Soufeiye[20] | Syria | ? | Gravity dam |
? | ? | ? | Dara Dam | Turkey | 560 AD | Arch dam,earliest description ofarch actionin such types of dam byProcopius(De AedificiisII.3)[33] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Hodge 1992,p. 80;Hodge 2000,p. 331
- ^Smith 1971,pp. 25f.
- ^abcHodge 1992,p. 87
- ^Schnitter 1978,p. 28, fig. 7;Hodge 1992,p. 80;Hodge 2000,p. 332
- ^Smith 1970,pp. 60f.;Hodge 1992,p. 87
- ^Hodge 2000,pp. 331f.
- ^Hodge 1992,pp. 86f.
- ^abcSmith 1971,p. 49
- ^Smith 1971,p. 49;Hodge 1992,pp. 79f.
- ^abSmith 1971,p. 42
- ^Hodge 2000,p. 332;James & Chanson 2002
- ^abSmith 1971,pp. 33–35;Schnitter 1978,pp. 31f.;Schnitter 1987a,p. 12;Schnitter 1987c,p. 80;Hodge 2000,p. 332, fn. 2
- ^Schnitter 1987b,pp. 59–62
- ^abSchnitter 1978,p. 29;Schnitter 1987b,pp. 60, table 1, 62;James & Chanson 2002;Arenillas & Castillo 2003
- ^abVogel 1987,p. 50
- ^Hodge 1992,p. 82, table 39; thickness is at crest:Smith 1970,p. 61
- ^Smith 1970,pp. 60f.;Smith 1971,p. 26;Schnitter 1978,p. 28
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafagahaiajakalamanaoapaqarasatauavawaxayazArenillas & Castillo 2003
- ^Schnitter 1978,p. 31
- ^abcdSchnitter 1987a,p. 12
- ^abcJames & Chanson 2002
- ^Schnitter 1978,pp. 31f.
- ^abSchnitter 1987a,p. 13
- ^Smith 1971,pp. 35f.
- ^Schnitter 1978,p. 31; thickness:Hodge 1992,p. 91
- ^Schnitter 1987a,p. 12;Schnitter 1987b,p. 60, table 1
- ^Smith 1971,p. 39
- ^Schnitter 1987b,p. 60, table 1
- ^Decker 1991,pp. 78f. (no. 4)
- ^Schnitter 1987a,p. 13;Hodge 2000,pp. 337f.
- ^abSmith 1971,p. 37
- ^Smith 1971,p. 36
- ^Smith 1971,pp. 53f.;Schnitter 1978,p. 32;Schnitter 1987a,p. 13;Schnitter 1987c,p. 80;Hodge 1992,p. 92;Hodge 2000,p. 332, fn. 2
Sources
[edit]- Arenillas, Miguel; Castillo, Juan C. (2003),"Dams from the Roman Era in Spain. Analysis of Design Forms (with Appendix)",1st International Congress on Construction History [20th–24th January],Madrid
- Decker, Alexander (1991), "Einige römische Talsperren im heutigen Portugal", in Garbrecht, Günther (ed.),Historische Talsperren,vol. 2, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 73–81,ISBN3-87919-158-1
- Hodge, A. Trevor (1992),Roman Aqueducts & Water Supply,London: Duckworth,ISBN0-7156-2194-7
- Hodge, A. Trevor (2000), "Reservoirs and Dams", inWikander, Örjan(ed.),Handbook of Ancient Water Technology,Technology and Change in History, vol. 2, Leiden: Brill, pp. 331–339,ISBN90-04-11123-9
- James, Patrick; Chanson, Hubert (2002),"Historical Development of Arch Dams. From Roman Arch Dams to Modern Concrete Designs",Australian Civil Engineering Transactions,CE43:39–56
- Schnitter, Niklaus (1978), "Römische Talsperren",Antike Welt,8(2): 25–32
- Schnitter, Niklaus (1987a), "Verzeichnis geschichtlicher Talsperren bis Ende des 17. Jahrhunderts", in Garbrecht, Günther (ed.),Historische Talsperren,vol. 1, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 9–20,ISBN3-87919-145-X
- Schnitter, Niklaus (1987b), "Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Pfeilerstaumauer", in Garbrecht, Günther (ed.),Historische Talsperren,vol. 1, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 57–74,ISBN3-87919-145-X
- Schnitter, Niklaus (1987c), "Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Bogenstaumauer", in Garbrecht, Günther (ed.),Historische Talsperren,vol. 1, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 75–96,ISBN3-87919-145-X
- Smith, Norman (1970), "The Roman Dams of Subiaco",Technology and Culture,11(1): 58–68,doi:10.2307/3102810,JSTOR3102810,S2CID111915102
- Smith, Norman (1971),A History of Dams,London: Peter Davies, pp. 25–49,ISBN0-432-15090-0
- Vogel, Alexius (1987), "Die historische Entwicklung der Gewichtsmauer", in Garbrecht, Günther (ed.),Historische Talsperren,vol. 1, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 47–56,ISBN3-87919-145-X
Further reading
[edit]- Vita-Finzi, Claudio(1961), "Roman Dams in Tripolitania",Antiquity35:14–20
External links
[edit]Media related toRoman damsat Wikimedia Commons
- Traianus– Technical investigation of Roman public works (see sectionSaeptum Fluminum)
- "Barrages romains du Portugal. Types et fonctions",Mélanges de la Casa de Velázquez(2006)(in French)