Abstract
The article is devoted to the water supply system of the Roman city of Ratiaria, one of the more important centers in the province of Upper Moesia. The author analyzes the results of archaeological research conducted since 1978 by the Bulgarian-Italian expedition and reconstructs the functioning of the city’s water infrastructure. At the outset, the historical development of Ratiaria is presented. The city was founded as a colony in the time of Trajan and reached its greatest prosperity during the Antonine and Severan periods. In the later period, it became an important administrative center of the province of Dacia Ripensis and the seat of Legio XIII Gemina. The demographic and economic development of the city in the 3rd–5th centuries was connected with growing demand for water. The main part of the article concerns the analysis of aqueducts. The author describes two parallel systems bringing water from springs in the Židovec area, located about 4 miles from the city. The first, main aqueduct (visible in the photograph of the foundations on page 245), was built in the specus technique and dated to the time of Hadrian. The second system consisted of terracotta pipes (illustration on page 246), joined by a special system and sealed with hydraulic mortar. An important problem was the topography of the terrain — the aqueduct had to cross the deep valley of the Archariza River. The author reconstructs the use of advanced technical solutions, such as “hydraulic steps” and a siphon system, which made it possible to maintain a constant flow of water despite considerable differences in height. On the basis of flow calculations, Giorgetti estimates that the system supplied about 20,000 m³ of water daily, which was sufficient for about 20,000 inhabitants. The conclusion points to the high level of development of urban infrastructure and its adaptation to the needs of a large urban center in late antiquity.
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© by Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of History, Poznań, 1995
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