Why water?

Water, along with food, is probably the most important resource that a community needs to address. The primary need for water is for drinking, followed by its use in bathing, agriculture and industry, and aesthetic displays. Indeed, the acquisition and storage of water can make or break a community and ancient communities are often established in proximity to known water supplies.

The acquisition, storage, and use of water varies widely both between communities and within communities. At a basic level, inhabitants can get their water for drinking from a local spring, or collect rainwater in a domestic cistern. At the upper end of water management, aqueducts can bring in water from many miles away and feed into systems of baths, fountains, and occasionally private homes.

To understand the importance of water supply, one need only think of theories of complexity and the rise of sedentary societies. The communal manipulation and control of water supply for agricultural needs is a main contender for the rise of complex societies. Even in modern societies, water continues to play a part in not just the infrastructure of the city, but in politics. Being on well-water, essentially being "off the grid" can often be a political statement against expansionist policies of cities and towns.

Key questions:

This page will address some of the basic logistics of the water supply--where is it coming from, where is it going, and who controls it. While most of the infrastructure dealt with here is for public use, this section of water will delve partly into the private realm by examining private water usage in addition to public consumption. In addition, the large question is what can the water system tell us about social relationships, class, and ideas of power.

supply

output:

fountains

baths

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