Category: Ancient Enginnering

Cloaca Maxima: The Greatest Drain

Jan 23, 2026

—

by

Mark

in Ancient Enginnering, Ancient Rome, Aqueducts, Cloaca Maxima, Everything Latin, Marcus Agrippa, Pliny the Elder, Roman Empire, Roman Republic, Strabo

Built in Rome two thousand years ago, this underground sewer, a vaulted tunnel called Cloaca Maxima (meaning “the greatest drain”) was constructed from massive blocks of volcanic rock and limestone, and, along with concrete, aqueducts, ampitheatres and an amazing network of almost straight roads linking distant provinces to the capital, it is another testament to…
Ancient Iranian Qanats

May 24, 2025

—

by

Mark

in Ancient Enginnering, Aquaducts, Everything Latin, History, Iran, Qanats, Roman Empire

By Joobin Bekhrad posted 20th June 2018 on BBC Travel blog This post isn’t really about the Roman Empire, although their seemingly never-ending conflict with the Parthian Empire, and long association with the ancient cities of Philadelphia (modern-day Amman in Jordan), Palmyra and Damascus (both in modern-day Syria), amongst others, would have definately brought them…