Vast subterranean aqueduct in Naples once 'served elite Roman villas'

Live Science ^ | January 29, 2023 | Kristina Killgrove

[SunkenCiv]

Forty years ago, when children in Naples were playing in caves and tunnels under the hill of Posillipo in Italy, they didn't know their playground was actually a Roman aqueduct. When they shared their memories with archaeological authorities recently, it kicked off an exploration of one of the longest, most mysterious examples of ancient water infrastructure in the Roman world...

Outside of Rome, subterranean aqueducts and their paths are much less understood. This knowledge gap included the newly investigated Aqua Augusta(opens in new tab), also called the Serino aqueduct, which was built between 30 B.C. and 20 B.C. to connect luxury villas and suburban outposts in the Bay of Naples. Circling Naples and running down to the ancient vacation destination of Pompeii, the Aqua Augusta is known to have covered at least 87 miles (140 kilometers), bringing water to people all along the coast as well as inland...

Thanks to reports from locals who used to explore the tunnels as kids, association members found a branch of the aqueduct that carried drinking water to the hill of Posillipo and to the crescent-shaped island of Nisida(opens in new tab). So far, around 2,100 feet (650 meters) of the excellently preserved aqueduct has been found, making it the longest known segment of the Aqua Augusta...

In a new report(opens in new tab), Ferrari and Cocceius Association Vice President Raffaella Lamagna(opens in new tab) list several scientific studies that can be done now that this stretch of aqueduct has been found. Specifically, they will be able to calculate the ancient water flow with high precision, to learn more about the eruptive sequences that formed the hill of Posillipo, and to study the mineral deposits on the walls of the aqueduct.

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the aqueduct keywords, sorted, duplicates out, a little editing:

• Vast tunnel found beneath ancient Egyptian temple [aqueduct] [11/08/2022]
• Patara (Turkey) [the Patara pipes] [09/12/2021]
• Roman Tomb Unearthed; to Everyone's Surprise, It's Intact [4th c BC] [06/11/2018]
• Roman Aqueducts and Water Mills [02/20/2015]
• Water's role in the rise and fall of the Roman Empire [12/13/2014]
• Roman ship had on-board fish tank: Hand-operated pump would have kept catch alive during long trips [06/02/2011]
• Rome's Ancient Aqueduct Found [09/17/2010]
• Two thousand year old Roman aqueduct discovered [01/25/2010]
• Rome's Tremendous Tunnel [04/19/2009]
• Rome's Tremendous Tunnel [100 kilometers long, century to dig it] [03/13/2009]
• Water To Run Down From Antonine Nymphaeum After 1300 Years [07/28/2008]
• Claudius' Naumachia on Fucine Lake (Those About To Die, chap III) [11/24/2005]
• Water Bridge in Germany [10/16/2005]
• Research team recreates ancient underwater concrete technology [04/09/2005]
• The Lake's Progress (Greeks, Roman, Persians And Arabs) [12/10/2004]

[nutmeg]

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[SunkenCiv]

[Red Badger]

Which direction?............................

[SunkenCiv]

I didn’t even know they *had* e-lites back then.

[volunbeer]

The Roman aquaduct system was an incredible advancement. Their concrete was also amazing.

The lead pipes and cookware?

That one did not age well.

[OldWarBaby]

Well, they got the fresh water right in some cases. But they still peed in the street. One reason the whole thing didn’t last. they could have put a bottle deposit on their wine jugs——but didn’t.

[Mark]

bkmk

[Celtic Conservative]

There are a lot of fairly fairly well preserved Roman and medieval ruins under Naples due to successive eruptions of Vesuvius. There is a history Channel show called “Cities Of The Underworld” that spends a whole episode on Naples. Massive water cisterns, aqueducts, sewers and an incredibly well preserved city street are among the finds.

CC

[Grimmy]

Wait.

They had subterranean aqueducts that served elite Roman villas?

Were those served ala carte or as a full course?

[blueplum]

wow! they ran fresh water out to an island?

[SunkenCiv]

A lot of people don’t even know the Romans were *in* Florida.