List of Roman dams and reservoirs

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Cornalvo Dam in Spain, erected in the 1st-2nd century AD Roman Cornalvo dam, Extremadura, Spain. Pic 01.jpg
Cornalvo Dam in Spain, erected in the 1st–2nd century AD
Lake Homs Dam in Syria, erected in 284 AD (photographed 1921) La digue du lac de Homs, retenant les eaux de l'Oronte, avec sa tour romaine.jpg
Lake Homs Dam in Syria, erected in 284 AD (photographed 1921)

This is a list of Roman dams and reservoirs. The study of Roman dam-building has received little scholarly attention in comparison to their other civil engineering activities, [1] even though their contributions in this field have been ranked alongside their expertise in constructing the well-known Roman aqueducts, bridges, and roads. [2]

Contents

Roman dam construction began in earnest in the early imperial period. [3] For the most part, it concentrated on the semi-arid fringe of the empire, namely the provinces of North Africa, the Near East, and Hispania. [4] The relative abundance of Spanish dams below is due partly to more intensive field work there; for Italy only the Subiaco Dams, created by emperor Nero (54–68 AD) for recreational purposes, are attested. [5] These dams are noteworthy, though, for their extraordinary height, which remained unsurpassed anywhere in the world until the Late Middle Ages. [3]

The most frequent dam types were earth- or rock-filled embankment dams and masonry gravity dams. [6] These served a wide array of purposes, such as irrigation, flood control, river diversion, soil-retention, or a combination of these functions. [7] In this, Roman engineering did not differ fundamentally from the practices of older hydraulic societies.

"The Romans' ability to plan and organise engineering construction on a grand scale" gave their dam construction special distinction. [8] Their engineering prowess, therefore, facilitated the construction of large and novel reservoir dams, which secured a permanent water supply for urban settlements even during the dry season, a common concept today, but little-understood and -employed in ancient times. [9]

The impermeability of Roman dams was increased by the introduction of waterproof hydraulic mortar and especially Roman concrete in the Roman architectural revolution. These materials also allowed for bigger structures to be built, [8] like the Lake Homs Dam, possibly the largest water barrier to date, [10] and the sturdy Harbaqa Dam, both of which consist of a concrete core.

On the whole, Roman dam engineering displayed a high degree of completeness and innovativeness. [8] While hitherto dams relied solely on their heavy weight to resist the thrust of water, Roman builders were the first to realize the stabilizing effect of arches and buttresses, which they integrated into their dam designs. Previously unknown dam types introduced by the Romans include:

The origin of the so-called weir bridges, which were to become a popular design in Iran thereafter, can also be traced to the forced labour of Roman prisoners of war (see Band-e Kaisar). [15]

List

This list is sorted by maximum height. All measurements are in m; in case of differing values, more recent respectively more detailed studies were given preference. In earth dams, thickness refers to the masonry wall.

HeightThicknessCrest lengthNameCountryDateType / Comments
5013.570? Subiaco Dams [16] Italy 54–68 AD Gravity dam. Devised as pleasure lake for Nero, the dam was the highest in the Roman Empire, [17] and in the world until its destruction in 1305. [3]
34.038.0120.0 Almonacid de la Cuba Dam [18] Spain 1st c. Gravity dam
28.026.0194.0 Cornalvo Dam [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Gravity dam, still in use
21.65.9427.8 Proserpina Dam [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Gravity dam, still in use
21?365 Harbaqa Dam [19] Syria 2nd c. Gravity dam
20.04.0?>800.0 Alcantarilla Dam [18] Spain 2nd c. BC Gravity dam
16.66.980.0 Ermita de la Virgen del Pilar Dam [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Gravity dam
16?40Orükaya [20] Turkey 2nd c. Arch-gravity dam [21]
13.07.0?60.0 Muel Dam [18] Spain 1st c. Gravity dam
123.918 Glanum Dam [22] France 1st c. BC Arch dam, earliest known [12]
12?130Löstügun [23] Turkey 6th c. Gravity dam
107.3150 Kasserine Dam [24] Tunisia 2nd c. Arch-gravity dam [21]
8.42.768.0 La Pared de los Moros [18] Spain 3rd c. Gravity dam
7.02.050.0Arroyo Salado [18] Spain ? Gravity dam
7202000 Lake of Homs dam [25] Syria 3rd c. Gravity dam, largest artificial reservoir to date (capacity of 90 million m³), still in use [10]
7?193Ma'agan Michael (West) [23] Israel 4th c. Gravity dam
7?80 Çavdarhisar [20] Turkey 2nd c. Arch-gravity dam [21]
7?50 Roman dam of Belas [26] Portugal 2nd c. Gravity dam
~6.1??Qasr Khubbaz [27] Syria ??
6.0?3.050.0 Arévalo [18] Spain 2nd c. Gravity dam
5.62.2320.0 Esparragalejo Dam [18] Spain 1st c. Multiple-arch buttress dam, earliest known [14]
5.21.995.0Las Tomas [18] Spain 4th c. Buttress dam
5?91Wadi Megenin [28] Libya 2nd c. Buttress dam
4.82.6>632.0 Consuegra Dam [18] Spain 3rd–4th c. Buttress dam
4.64.2174 Muro Dam [29] Portugal ??
4.52.7141.1El Paredón [18] Spain 3rd c. Gravity dam
4.52.519.5Melque VI [18] Spain ? Gravity dam
>4.01.0102.0 Lower Iturranduz Dam [18] Spain 2nd c. Buttress dam
4.05.6100.0La Pesquera [18] Spain ? Gravity dam
4?300Böget [20] Turkey 2nd c. Gravity dam
3.71.8139.0Araya [18] Spain 2nd c. Buttress dam
3.63.597.8Vega de Sta. María [18] Spain ? Buttress dam
3.52.040.0Arroyo Bejarano [18] Spain 1st c. Gravity dam
>3.03.0170.0Charca de Valverde [18] Spain ? Gravity dam
3.03.4200.0Las Muelas [18] Spain 2nd c. Buttress dam
3.03.0?29.0Azud de la Rechuela [18] Spain ? Buttress dam
3.02.330.0Les Parets Antiques [18] Spain 3rd–4th c. Gravity dam
3.02.2150.0Villafranca [18] Spain 2nd–3rd c. Buttress dam
3.02.940.0 Roman Dam of Pego da Moura Portugal ? Buttress dam
3.01.898.0 Valhermoso Dam [18] Spain 2nd–3rd c. Gravity dam
3.01.530.0 Castillo de Bayuela [18] Spain 2nd–3rd c. Buttress dam
3.0???San Martín de la Montiña [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Gravity dam
2.55.0100.0Cañada del Huevo [18] Spain 2nd c. Buttress dam
2.51.525.0Pineda o Ca'La Verda [18] Spain 3rd c. Gravity dam
2.41.280.0Paerón I [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Gravity dam
2.21.015.0Palomera Baja [18] Spain 3rd c. Gravity dam
2.2?1.0?30.0?El Peral [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Gravity dam
2.11.940.8 Moracantá Dam [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Gravity dam
>2.02.580.0Los Paredones [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Gravity dam
>2.00.852.0–180?La Cuba [18] Spain 2nd–3rd c. Gravity dam
210–12516 Band-e Kaisar [30] Iran 3rd c. Gravity dam, earliest dam-bridge (weir combined with arch bridge) [15]
2.01.056.0 Puy Foradado Dam [18] Spain 2nd–3rd c. Arch-gravity dam [18]
1.6??Las Mezquitas [18] Spain 2nd c. Gravity dam
>1.51.130.0Paerón II [18] Spain 1st–2nd c. Buttress dam
1.50.835.0 El Pont d'Armentera [18] Spain 2nd–4th c. Gravity dam
1.31.6230.0El Hinojal (Las Tiendas) [18] Spain 3rd–4th c. Buttress dam
1.31.414.7El Argamasón [18] Spain 2nd–3rd c. Gravity dam
1.22.430.0Balsa de Cañaveral [18] Spain 4th c. Gravity dam
1.10.713.4Río Frío [18] Spain 1st c. Gravity dam
>0.90.77.6El Peral II [18] Spain ? Buttress dam
0.90.740.0Azud de los Moros [18] Spain 1st c. Gravity dam
>0.81.660.0–80.0 Valencia del Ventoso [18] Spain 3rd–4th c. Gravity dam
>0.81.150.0El Chaparral [18] Spain 3rd–4th c. Gravity dam
?0.7150.0 Higher Iturranduz Dam [18] Spain 3rd–4th c. Buttress dam
??? Leptis Magna (Wadi Caam I) [31] Libya 2nd–3rd c.??
??900 Leptis Magna (Wadi Caam II) [31] Libya 2nd–3rd c.??
??? Leptis Magna (Wadi Lebda) [32] Libya 2nd–3rd c.?Buttressed dam
???Las Adelfas [18] Spain 2nd c. Gravity dam
??? Monroy [18] Spain ? Gravity dam
???Odrón y Linares [18] Spain ? Gravity dam
???Soufeiye [20] Syria ? Gravity dam
??? Dara Dam Turkey 560 AD Arch dam, earliest description of arch action in such types of dam by Procopius (De Aedificiis II.3) [33]

See also

References

  1. Hodge 1992 , p. 80; Hodge 2000 , p. 331
  2. Smith 1971 , pp. 25f.
  3. 1 2 3 Hodge 1992 , p. 87
  4. Schnitter 1978 , p. 28, fig. 7; Hodge 1992 , p. 80; Hodge 2000 , p. 332
  5. Smith 1970 , pp. 60f.; Hodge 1992 , p. 87
  6. Hodge 2000 , pp. 331f.
  7. Hodge 1992 , pp. 86f.
  8. 1 2 3 Smith 1971 , p. 49
  9. Smith 1971 , p. 49; Hodge 1992 , pp. 79f.
  10. 1 2 Smith 1971 , p. 42
  11. Hodge 2000 , p. 332; James & Chanson 2002
  12. 1 2 Smith 1971 , pp. 33–35; Schnitter 1978 , pp. 31f.; Schnitter 1987a , p. 12; Schnitter 1987c , p. 80; Hodge 2000 , p. 332, fn. 2
  13. Schnitter 1987b , pp. 59–62
  14. 1 2 Schnitter 1978 , p. 29; Schnitter 1987b , pp. 60, table 1, 62; James & Chanson 2002; Arenillas & Castillo 2003
  15. 1 2 Vogel 1987 , p. 50
  16. Hodge 1992 , p. 82, table 39; thickness is at crest: Smith 1970 , p. 61
  17. Smith 1970 , pp. 60f.; Smith 1971 , p. 26; Schnitter 1978 , p. 28
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 Arenillas & Castillo 2003
  19. Schnitter 1978 , p. 31
  20. 1 2 3 4 Schnitter 1987a , p. 12
  21. 1 2 3 James & Chanson 2002
  22. Schnitter 1978 , pp. 31f.
  23. 1 2 Schnitter 1987a , p. 13
  24. Smith 1971 , pp. 35f.
  25. Schnitter 1978 , p. 31; thickness: Hodge 1992 , p. 91
  26. Schnitter 1987a , p. 12; Schnitter 1987b , p. 60, table 1
  27. Smith 1971 , p. 39
  28. Schnitter 1987b , p. 60, table 1
  29. Decker 1991 , pp. 78f. (no. 4)
  30. Schnitter 1987a , p. 13; Hodge 2000 , pp. 337f.
  31. 1 2 Smith 1971 , p. 37
  32. Smith 1971 , p. 36
  33. Smith 1971 , pp. 53f.; Schnitter 1978 , p. 32; Schnitter 1987a , p. 13; Schnitter 1987c , p. 80; Hodge 1992 , p. 92; Hodge 2000 , p. 332, fn. 2

Sources

Further reading

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