Sedimentology and Lead in the Ancient Roman Water Supply

One of the well known accomplishments of the Roman Empire was their system of aqueducts that brought water into their cities and towns. The pipes within the cities were often made of lead or terracotta. The city of Pompeii in southern Italy had running water before the explosive volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The lead pipes within the city can be seen today.


 Lead poisoning was present in Roman society and was a health concern. It is unlikely it caused the collapse of the Roman Empire. This was determined by researchers in 2014 by measuring lead isotopes in sediments from the harbor of Imperial Rome (Delile et al. 2014). The authors were able to distinguish different time periods from the sediment cores including" pre-harbor, Early Empire, Late, Empire, Early Middle Ages and Late Middle Ages. Comparison of the lead isotopes demonstrated that there was lead pollution in the Roman drinking water but not enough pollution to have been a major health risk. 

Additionally, the Romans created forms of heating and cooling to benefit their health and comfort. In the villa of a wealthy family, it was common to find large tubs that would keep cool water to cool the temperature of the room during the hot summers. 


Roman cities also had public thermal baths to provide for the wellness of the community. The hot water was heated by flame underneath the bath. These baths were very common and were used frequently. These centers were also used for fitness and as a spa for massages. 
The Roman Empire had many ingenious inventions that can still be seen today and prove the glory of this civilization. The effect they had on Europe and more specifically Italy, can be seen throughout the country. 

By Abby Mebane 

Works Cited 
Delile, Hugo, Janne Blichert-Toft, Jean-Philippe Goiran, Simon Keay, and Francis Albarède. 2014. “Lead in Ancient Rome’s City Waters.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 (18): 6594–99. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1400097111.



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