Modelling the freshwater supply of cisterns in ancient Greece

Patrik Klingborg,Martin Finné

doi:10.1007/s12685-017-0209-y

Abstract

In this paper, we model the function of rainwater harvesting cisterns in ancient Greece. The model calculates on a monthly basis: (1) the collected and stored volume of water; (2) the amount of water extracted for individual use; and (3) the potential accumulated surplus available by the end of a month. The potential of the model is explored through two case studies based on material from Olynthos in Thessaly and Dystos on ancient Euboia by running 26 consecutive annual cycles utilizing modern precipitation data from meteorological stations as a proxy for ancient precipitation and precipitation variability. Our results show that cisterns can provide ample amounts of freshwater to households and function as buffers for water stress in shorter (monthly), and longer terms (seasonally, yearly and between years). The two cisterns in this paper yield between 10.7 and 86.6 m3 per annum with a strong variability in collected water volumes within and between years. Yet, this variability is, largely predictable and thus the use of cisterns in ancient Greece should be viewed in the light of predictable variability that required active participation from members of the household to be efficient.

Highlights

A reliable freshwater supply is imperative for human survival
In this paper, we model the function of rainwater harvesting cisterns in ancient Greece
There are, no estimates on how common the various water sources were in relation to each other, but cisterns and wells must have numbered in the tens, or hundreds, of thousands, while only 95 fountain houses were accounted for in an inventory study covering the area of modern Greece (Glaser 1983; Klingborg 2017)

Summary

Introduction

A reliable freshwater supply is imperative for human survival. Providing this can, be complicated, especially in semi-arid environments with a distinct wet and dry season, and where groundwater resources may be under pressure or unavailable (Doll 2009; UNESCO 2012). Our understanding of water supply in the ancient Mediterranean world is skewed and incomplete as studies have focused almost exclusively on monumental infrastructure, mainly aqueducts and fountains (Klingborg 2017) Basic installations such as wells and cisterns formed the primary water sources for the population in the ancient world with a small number of exceptions during the Roman period (Hodge 2000a; Klingborg 2017). We develop and run a model to test the function of two ancient cisterns in Greece, one at Olynthos and the other at Dystos, as providers of freshwater for households on a monthly basis (Fig. 1).

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