This is list of ancient and historic dams built by mankind.
This is list of ancient and historic dams built by mankind.
| Name | Location | Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sadd el-Kafara Dam | Egypt | ~2600 BC | Masonry (failed) | Oldest known dam structure; failed during construction due to flooding. [1] |
| Marib Dam | Yemen | ~750 BC (early form ~2000 BC) | Earthen with masonry core | Key to Sabaean irrigation; expanded multiple times; functioned for over 1,000 years. |
| Jawa Dam | Jordan | ~3000 BC | Stone gravity dam | Among the oldest in the Middle East; built to hold flash flood waters. |
| Lake Homs Dam (Qattinah Dam) | Syria | ~1300 BC | Earthfill with stone | Early large-scale reservoir; modified over centuries. |
| Name | Location | Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kallanai Dam (Grand Anicut) | Tamil Nadu, India | ~100 AD | Stone masonry | Built by Chola King Karikalan; still in use today—one of the oldest operational dams. |
| Band-e Kaisar (Caesar's Dam) | Shushtar, Iran | ~260 AD | Roman-style masonry | Built by Roman captives; part of the Shushtar Hydraulic System (UNESCO site). |
| Cornalvo Dam | Spain | ~1st century AD | Masonry gravity dam | Roman origin; maintained into the medieval era; still standing. |
| Proserpina Dam | Spain | ~1st century AD | Earth and masonry | Roman dam still retaining water; UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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| Name | Location | Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elche Dam (Pantano de Elche) | Spain | 1632 | Masonry arch dam | One of the earliest arch dams still in use. |
| Tibi Dam | Spain | 1594 | Masonry gravity dam | World’s tallest dam (42 m) for over 300 years. |
| Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | India | 1967 | Masonry gravity dam | With height of 124 metres, currently, it is the world’s tallest stone masonry dam. [2] |