vitzaqueducts



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** Aqueducts are artificial channels used throughout the **** Mediterranean **** to carry water to the cities. The Ancient Romans built particularly impressive aqueducts that were among their greatest engineering feats. Water could be brought form many miles away, sometimes requiring bridges to carry the channels across valleys. Because the water flow was based on gravity, a constant gradient was required. If possible, water ran through conduits that were lined with concrete and large enough to allow work crews to clean out mineral deposits and other obstructions. At town, the aqueduct would end at a **** high point ** **, and water would travel through a series of settling tanks to allow distribution. The main demand for water came from public baths, although it was increasingly popular in private homes and baths. Homeowners would be charged according to the size of the pipe that brought water to their homes. Pipes used in the final distribution of water were ceramic or made of such substances as lead, leather, and wood. The apian aqueduct was the first channel to bring freshwater to ** ** Rome ****. Over a period of time about five hundred years, from about 312 b.c to about 226 a.d, eleven aqueducts were built near the city. Some stretched as far as 57 miles. The most visible parts of the roman aqueduct are tall, arched structures called arcades. The Romans also built aqueducts in areas they conquered, such as **** Gaul ****, **** Spain **** , and **** Greece ****. In some of these former provinces, the roman aqueducts are still being used today. **