Earliest Forms of Plumbing

As much as our imaginations may lead us to believe that we are ahead of the times with our computers, buildings and drainage, the truth be told differently. History has long influenced the design of our modern day luxuries and necessities, to such a degree that some would say we didn’t invent anything. The contemporary design world is quite simply just riding on the coat tails of historical genius. This includes Da Vinci’s industrial design ideas, Egyptian computers and also the amazing plumbing methods that still snake under some of the most famous cities in the world, like the old cities of Athens, Rome and the Mayan ruins.

Ancient Mayan Conduits

The Mayans were an amazing race that made many contributions to the new world, even so many years after disappearing. Believed to be the designers behind pressurised pipes, their old cities show underground aqueducts made from limestone, and routed straight from freshwater springs through the city and straight into homes.
The ancient conduits were run under the springs and they were built to compress the water as it ran through the pipes, thereby creating a pressure build up. This allowed water to easily travel up through their ‘taps’. Much like today’s plumbing, the Mayan conduits ran under the cities and were covered with paving stones.


The Roman Hot Tubs
 
Unlike the hot tubs and Jacuzzis of today, the Roman hot tubs were far cooler. Referred to as ‘calderas’ the tubs were heated by hot stones that were placed in the water. Made from marble and designed with aqueducts that took water to the calderas, the tubs were a popular relaxation method, particularly for the wealthy.

The idea of hot tubs has been around for centuries and the Japanese were, and still are, huge fans of soaking their troubles away in tubs they called ‘ofuro’. It was in the 1940s that hot tubs became popular in the USA, when the idea was taken from the Japanese ofuros. The plumbing mechanism remains largely the same, from Rome to Japan and the USA, the water is pumped through pipes/conduits. The idea of baths was so engrained in the Roman masses that many mineral and thermal spring baths can be found throughout Europe. They were built by soldiers who found the time for residential construction while still expanding the Roman empire.
 
 
Greek Latrines

The Greeks had tiled bathrooms that featured self-draining bathtubs for the cold-water baths they loved so much, unlike the hot baths enjoyed the world over. They also had closets that housed latrines, which were plumbed to drain directly into the sewer below street level. Back then, the plumbers even fitted these underground conduits with vents so there was no odour build up, and the water pressure was maintained to ensure the waste moved along.

The Greeks were known for their achievements in the world of plumbing, particularly their cold water systems that they so loved – thanks to Hippocrates who deemed that cold water cured all ills. However, it was their fellow European counterparts who eventually became their rulers and turned Greek plumbing into a Roman success story.

Luckily we don’t have to use these archaic systems anymore, and we are now privy to the contemporary luxuries such as taps and geysers. However, the innovative contribution by the ancient industrial designers and plumbing experts, cannot be disputed.