Minoan Aqueducts: A Pioneering Technology

In this paper several archaeological, historical and other aspects of aqueducts in Minoan era are reviewed. During the Middle Bronze Age a “cultural explosion”, unparalleled in the history of other ancient civilizations, occurred on the island of Crete. One of the salient characteristics of that cultural development was the architectural and hydraulic function of aqueducts used for water supply in “palaces” and cities. In the entire structures of most Minoan “palaces” and cities, nothing is more remarkable than their elaborate water supply systems. The Minoan hydrologists and engineers were aware of some of the basic principles of what we call today principles and practices of water sciences with emphasis on the construction and operation of aqueducts. The description of several of the Minoan aqueducts could justify that Minoans could be considered as pioneers in those technologies.

Proceedings of the 1st IWA International Symposium on WATER AND WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGIES IN ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS, edited by A. N. Angelakis and D. Koutsoyiannis (Greece, 2006)