aqueduct

(noun)

An artificial channel for conveying water, typically in the form of a bridge supported by tall columns across a valley.

Related Terms

Examples of aqueduct in the following topics:

  • Rome

    • Examples include the aqueducts of Rome, the Baths of Caracalla , basilicas, and the Roman Colosseum.
    • The Roman use of the arch, and their improvements in the use of concrete and bricks, facilitated the building of many aqueducts throughout the empire .
    • Because of this, the arch was employed in Roman aqueducts throughout the empire, and their survival is testimony to the durability of their materials and design.

  • Arches, Vaults, and Domes

    • Several circular arches placed in-line, end-to-end, form an arcade, such as the Roman aqueduct .
    • Throughout the Roman empire, their engineers erected arch structures such as bridges, aqueducts, and gates.
    • The Pont du Gard is an example of a Roman aqueduct using a circular arch.

  • Roman Architecture under the Republic

    • Roman aqueducts are another iconic use of the arch.
    • The arches that make up an aqueduct provided support without requiring the amount of building material necessary for arches supported by solid walls.
    • The Aqua Marcia (144–140 BCE) was the longest of the eleven aqueducts that served the city of Rome during the Republic.

  • Architecture of the Maya

    • An aqueduct, constructed of great stone blocks with a six-foot-high vault, diverts the Otulum River to flow underneath the main plaza.

  • Architecture of the Aztecs

    • Two double aqueducts, each more than 2.5 miles long and made of terracotta, provided the city with fresh water for cleaning and washing.

  • Roman Society

    • Aqueducts brought water to urban centers, and wine and oil were imported from Hispania (Spain and Portugal), Gaul (France and Belgium), and Africa.

  • Imperial Sculpture in the Early Roman Empire

    • During his reign, Rome annexed the province of Britannia (present-day England and Wales) and witnessed the construction of new roads and aqueducts.

  • Architecture under the Nervan-Antonines

    • The projects these emperors conducted around the empire included the building and restoration of roads, bridges, and aqueducts.