Water and wastewater technologies in ancient civilizations: Prolegomena

A. N. Angelakis, and D. Koutsoyiannis, Water and wastewater technologies in ancient civilizations: Prolegomena, Water Science and Technology: Water Supply, 7 (1), vii–ix, 2007.

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[English]

The last century and a half has seen major advances in water resources science, management and, above all, technology, but these successes also highlight major unresolved problems related to the adequacy of water supply and irrigation water, the protection from floods and droughts, and the contamination of surface and ground water. One response to these challenges has been to revisit the past and investigate well tried and successful past solutions. Frequently, those who examined the archaeological and historical evidence were impressed by the similarity of problems with modern ones and the sophistication of technological and managerial solutions applied. These technologies and management practices in many ancient civilizations regularly displayed impressive durability and sustainability, characteristics that have again become properly appreciated and valued only in the last few decades.

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Other works that reference this work (this list might be obsolete):

1. Angelakis, A. N., and D. S. Spyridakis, A brief history of water supply and wastewater management in ancient Greece, Water Science and Technology: Water Supply, 10 (4), 618-628, 2010.

Tagged under: Ancient science and technology