Drainage and Sewerage Systems at Ancient Athens, Greece, 2014. E. Chiotis and L. Chioti (original) (raw)
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The efforts, techniques and works for water supply in ancient Athens are examined, over a period of twelve centuries from the sixth century BC up to the sixth century AD. The exploitation of local and distant water resources is investigated on the basis of archaeological data in a geological context. The development of city-states in ancient Greece was shaped to some degree by the necessary public infrastructure of hydraulic and drainage works. Engineering achievements such as the Eupalinean tunnel on the island of Samos as well as the Peisistratean aqueduct and the great drain in Athens made possible the expansion of the cities in antiquity. A common and remarkable feature of these ancient works is their sustainability; they have been long forgotten and were accidentally rediscovered and put in operation again in modern times. This is true of both, the Roman Hadrianic aqueduct which supplied Athens for one century since the middle of the 19th century and the ancient Hymettos aqueduct which still irrigates the National Garden of Athens.
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Kephissos River is the main fluvial system of the hydrological basin of Athens. It drains the central part of Attica and almost the entire urban area of the city of Athens. In this paper, we present the results of both the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the initial drainage network of the plain before the urbanization through the processing of digitised data with GIS software. The initial drainage network of the. basin, plotted with the use of a very detailed mosaic of maps, was constructed by German cartographers (Curtius E. and Kaupert J.) at the end of the 19' century. For the analysis of the drainage network the Laws of drainage composition were used and values for the D and F indices were calculated. One of the major aspects of this article is \o reveal information about the fluvial and environmental conditions in the plain of Athens before the urbanization of the area. This kind of information is very critical because until that time (end of the 19th century) the...
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Journal of Archaeological Science, 1998
At the distal western end of a main drainage canal running along West Gate Street in the Hellenistic city of Priene, an unusual masonry outlet structure has been found. The housed structure contains a doubly curvilinear, contracting rectangular cross-section flow passageway that allows drainage water flow through the city perimeter wall. A computer model of the complexly-shaped drainage structure has been hydraulically analysed in order to determine the function of the curvilinear passageway. Results indicate that the internal shaping of the structure hydraulically conditions the flow to create multiple circulatory mixing flows that agitate and entrain debris in the outflow stream sufficient to ''self-clean'' the outlet, thus preventing clogging. Further calculations of flow free surface shapes at different flow rates indicate the maximum flow capacity that can be processed by the drainage system without overspillage to provide a lower-bound estimate of the steady-state water supply to the city. The design of a self-cleaning, continuous flow urban wastewater system implies that Greek city planners maintained a high level of awareness about the hygienic conditions needed to maintain the health of the populace. The Greek attitude toward technical refinements necessary to improve the quality of urban life could therefore not be better represented than in attention to detail related to water supply and waste water drainage systems as a key to improved life standards.
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The status of urban sewerage and stormwater drainage systems in ancient Greece is reviewed, based on the results of archaeological studies of the 20th century. Emphasis is given to the construction, operation, and management of sewerage and stormwater drainage systems during the Minoan period (2nd millennium B.C.). The achievements of this period in dealing with the hygienic and the functional requirements of palaces and cities, were so advanced that they can only be compared to modern urban water systems, developed in Europe and North America in the second half of the 19th century A.D. The advanced Minoan technologies were exported to all parts of Greece in later periods of the Greek civilization, i.e. in Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods.
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 2014
The content of this article provides interesting history, facts and information about the drainage systems of ancient theatres in mainland Greece and Asia Minor from prehistoric times till the Hellenistic period. This study comprises representative examples of drainage systems in theatres at Knossos, Phaistos, Dionysus in Athens, Arcadian Orchomenos, Ephesus and Delos. Moreover, what we aim to demonstrate is that these drainage systems represent evolutionary techniques and principles that can still be used today in order to avoid wasting water resources. Moreover, these techniques may prove attractive for the development of sustainable strategies to counter mounting problems, especially of a socio-economic nature. In 2 addition, the article presents evidence for the conception that adaptations to individual environmental and hydraulic characteristics of specific locations were considered in relation to drainage systems of ancient theatres. Thus, through a case study of the carrying capacity of drainage channels Кt Dionвsus' theatre at Athens, the sustainable nature of this construction is demonstrated, including its capacity for management of storm water.
The Hadrianic aqueduct of Athens and the underlying tradition of hydraulic engineering
Great Waterworks in Roman Greece
The Hadrianic aqueduct of Athens is a monumental work of the Roman Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, constructed during the period AD 125 – 140, with unique hydraulic features. The backbone of the aqueduct is an array of deep wells along a 17.8km long continuous tunnel, whereas the typical Roman aqueducts of Greece (Nikopolis, Corinth, Samos, Lesbos, Knossos, Gortyn) are mainly constructed on the ground and are characterized by water bridges upon arcades across valleys, although occasionally comprise tunnels in order to pass through topographic highs. In the dry land of Attica (of poor surface water resources), the Hadrianic aqueduct mainly captured groundwater along the tunnel, whereas the typical Roman aqueducts of Greece transferred water from distant springs or rivers. The route and the constructional details of the tunnel are adequately known, given that a section of the aqueduct was recognized and located in 1840 by Friedrich Stauffert3 and remained the main hydraulic work supplying Athens with water till the 1930s. The sustainability of the aqueduct is due to its design for underground water capturing, a concept already applied to the archaic aqueducts of Aegina and Megara seven centuries earlier. Despite the fragmentary nature of archaeological data, a preliminary effort is undertaken to trace the remains of the water distribution network in the city of Athens and correlate conduits, reservoirs, fountains and baths associated with the Hadrianic aqueduct. Furthermore, its period of operation is examined, as well as the reasons for the construction of a Late Roman aqueduct with water bridges, still preserved in Athens.
Urban Water Management in Ancient Greece: Legacies and Lessons
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management-asce, 2008
Urban water, wastewater and stormwater management practices in ancient Hellas, from the Minoan to the Roman times are briefly reviewed. In the Prehistoric Hellas palaces and other settlements tended to be located at dry places, at a distance from rivers or lakes. During the Bronze Age decentralized water supply and wastewater and stormwater management of small-scale systems were dominant. These systems are characterized by their salient architectural and hydraulic features and perfect adaptation to the environment. On the other hand, under tyranny, cities grew significantly and the first large-scale urban water infrastructures were developed. During the periods of democracy the Hippodameian system of city planning included the public hydraulic works. This period is also characterized by significant scientific progress in the hygienic use of water in public baths and latrines. Finally, Romans used the scientific knowledge and the experience of small scale constructions of the Hellenes, to construct large scale hydraulic works using sophisticated techniques.
Urban drainage-out-of-sight, out-of-mind
2004
Provision of safe drinking water, flood protection, drainage and sanitation rank highly among the needs of all societies. Since early civilisation, various means have been used to provide these essential services. Some of the earliest urban drainage structures were built about 5000 years ago in the time of the Mesopotamian Empire (Wolfe, 2000). In subsequent history, many of these structures and associated systems were abandoned, but their remnants can still be found in various places around the world.