Implications of anthropogenic carbonates in reconstructing ancient water management

What is it about?

Anthropogenic carbonate deposits (limescale) from ancient water pipes, aqueducts and baths can provide abundant information on ancient water management practices, strategies and wider Roman history. These calcium carbonate deposits formed from hard water and store the composition, temperature, biological content, quality and quantity of supplied water. The carbonate can also be used to learn about hygiene in Roman public baths. In this case study, we discovered that the Republican Baths of Pompeii represents evidence for poor quality of water in the bath's pools due to human waste and microorganisms, which demonstrate rather unhygienic bathing experiences for the Pompeians in the early stages of the baths, before an aqueduct was built. The presence of limescale incrustation versus its absence clearly showed evidence of maintenance practices in the ancient Stabian-, Forum- and Republican Baths of Pompeii and the reasons for their renovations and abandonment.

Featured Image

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The Roman baths, though they are ruined, are part of our cultural heritage, and help us understand an ancient culture that was both very similar to ours, and very different. Decoding the meaning of traces left by ancient people in anthropogenic carbonate sampled in-situ in Roman baths of Pompeii brings insight into original and renovated conditions of bathing facilities and changing hygienic level, and provided water quality for cleansing of the Pompeians. It shows how and which modifications were made to provide more, warmer or cleaner water to increase the quality of the bathing experience. In general anthropogenic carbonate found in ancient water systems like aqueducts or water-lifting machine fed wells, cisterns and pools can act as a valuable archive and demonstrate us many aspects of the ancient environment and the manner of use of water systems and their time period of use. This includes also the structure of aquifers 2000 years ago, which are still used for modern water supply in the dry Mediterranean. Provided knowledge is unique and never explored before and can be useful to improve our perspective of water management in the modern world. Eventually, this study also has a geological importance. It helped us to discover for the first time peculiar, cyclic patterns in the carbon isotope ratio of carbonate from the wells, which is likely to be caused by a fluctuating amount of volcanic carbon dioxide in the groundwater. This periodic pattern may indicate the activity of Mount Vesuvius long before its eruption in AD 79.

Perspectives