List of Roman dams and reservoirs

Cornalvo Dam in Spain, erected in the 1st–2nd century AD

Proserpina Dam, near Mérida, Spain

This is a list of Roman dams and reservoirs. The study of Roman dam-building has received little scholarly attention in comparison to their other civil engineering activities,^[1] even though their contributions in this field have been ranked alongside their expertise in constructing the well-known Roman aqueducts, bridges, and roads.^[2]

Roman dam construction began in earnest in the early imperial period.^[3] For the most part, it concentrated on the semi-arid fringe of the empire, namely the provinces of North Africa, the Near East, and Hispania.^[4] The relative abundance of Spanish dams below is due partly to more intensive field work there; for Italy only the Subiaco Dams, created by emperor Nero (54–68 AD) for recreational purposes, are attested.^[5] These dams are noteworthy, though, for their extraordinary height, which remained unsurpassed anywhere in the world until the Late Middle Ages.^[3]

The most frequent dam types were earth- or rock-filled embankment dams and masonry gravity dams.^[6] These served a wide array of purposes, such as irrigation, flood control, river diversion, soil-retention, or a combination of these functions.^[7] In this, Roman engineering did not differ fundamentally from the practices of older hydraulic societies.

"The Romans' ability to plan and organise engineering construction on a grand scale" gave their dam construction special distinction.^[8] Their engineering prowess, therefore, facilitated the construction of large and novel reservoir dams, which secured a permanent water supply for urban settlements even during the dry season, a common concept today, but little-understood and -employed in ancient times.^[9]

The impermeability of Roman dams was increased by the introduction of waterproof hydraulic mortar and especially opus caementicium in the Concrete Revolution. These materials also allowed for bigger structures to be built,^[8] like the Lake Homs Dam, possibly the largest water barrier to date,^[10] and the sturdy Harbaqa Dam, both of which consist of a concrete core.

On the whole, Roman dam engineering displayed a high degree of completeness and innovativeness.^[8] While hitherto dams relied solely on their heavy weight to resist the thrust of water, Roman builders were the first to realize the stabilizing effect of arches and buttresses, which they integrated into their dam designs. Previously unknown dam types introduced by the Romans include:

• arch-gravity dams ^[11]
• arch dams ^[12]
• buttress dams ^[13]
• multiple-arch buttress dams ^[14]

The origin of the so-called weir bridges, which were to become a popular design in Iran thereafter, can also be traced to the forced labour of Roman prisoners of war (see Band-e Kaisar).^[15]

List

This list is sorted by maximum height. All measurements are in m; in case of differing values, more recent respectively more detailed studies were given preference. In earth dams, thickness refers to the masonry wall.

Height	Thickness	Crest length	Name	Country	Date	Type / Comments
50	13.5	1170?	Subiaco Dams [16]	Italy	54–68 AD	Gravity dam. Devised as pleasure lake for Nero, the dam was the highest in the Roman Empire,[17] and in the world until its destruction in 1305.[3]
34.0	38.0	1120.0	Almonacid de la Cuba Dam [18]	Spain	1st c.	Gravity dam
28.0	26.0	1194.0	Cornalvo Dam [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Gravity dam, still in use
21.6	15.9	1427.8	Proserpina Dam [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Gravity dam, still in use
21	1?	1365	Harbaqa Dam [19]	Syria	2nd c.	Gravity dam
20.0	14.0?	>800.0	Alcantarilla Dam [18]	Spain	1st c.	Gravity dam
16.6	16.9	1180.0	Ermita de la Virgen del Pilar Dam [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Gravity dam
16	1?	1140	Orükaya [20]	Turkey	2nd c.	Arch-gravity dam[21]
13.0	17.0?	1160.0	Muel Dam [18]	Spain	1st c.	Gravity dam
12	13.9	1118	Glanum Dam [22]	France	1st c. BC	Arch dam, earliest known[12]
12	1?	1130	Löstügun [23]	Turkey	6th c.	Gravity dam
10	17.3	1150	Kasserine Dam [24]	Tunisia	2nd c.	Arch-gravity dam[21]
18.4	12.7	1168.0	La Pared de los Moros [18]	Spain	3rd c.	Gravity dam
17.0	12.0	1150.0	Arroyo Salado [18]	Spain	?	Gravity dam
17	120	2000	Lake of Homs dam [25]	Syria	3rd c.	Gravity dam, largest artificial reservoir to date (capacity of 90 million m³), still in use[10]
17	1?	1193	Ma'agan Michael (West) [23]	Israel	4th c.	Gravity dam
17	1?	1180	Çavdarhisar [20]	Turkey	2nd c.	Arch-gravity dam[21]
17	1?	1150	Olisipo [26]	Portugal	2nd c.	Gravity dam
~6.1	1?	11?	Qasr Khubbaz [27]	Syria	?	?
16.0?	13.0	1150.0	Arévalo [18]	Spain	2nd c.	Gravity dam
15.6	12.2	1320.0	Esparragalejo Dam [18]	Spain	1st c.	Multiple-arch buttress dam, earliest known[14]
15.2	11.9	1195.0	Las Tomas [18]	Spain	4th c.	Buttress dam
15	1?	1191	Wadi Megenin [28]	Libya	2nd c.	Buttress dam
14.8	12.6	>632.0	Consuegra Dam [18]	Spain	3rd–4th c.	Buttress dam
14.6	14.2	1174	Muro Dam [29]	Portugal	?	?
14.5	12.7	1141.1	El Paredón [18]	Spain	3rd c.	Gravity dam
14.5	12.5	1119.5	Melque VI [18]	Spain	?	Gravity dam
>4.0	11.0	1102.0	Lower Iturranduz Dam [18]	Spain	2nd c.	Buttress dam
14.0	15.6	1100.0	La Pesquera [18]	Spain	?	Gravity dam
14	1?	1300	Böget [20]	Turkey	2nd c.	Gravity dam
13.7	11.8	1139.0	Araya [18]	Spain	2nd c.	Buttress dam
13.6	13.5	1197.8	Vega de Sta. María [18]	Spain	?	Buttress dam
13.5	12.0	1140.0	Arroyo Bejarano [18]	Spain	1st c.	Gravity dam
>3.0	13.0	1170.0	Charca de Valverde [18]	Spain	?	Gravity dam
13.0	13.4	1200.0	Las Muelas [18]	Spain	2nd c.	Buttress dam
13.0	13.0?	1129.0	Azud de la Rechuela [18]	Spain	?	Buttress dam
13.0	12.3	1130.0	Les Parets Antiques [18]	Spain	3rd–4th c.	Gravity dam
13.0	12.2	1150.0	Villafranca [18]	Spain	2nd–3rd c.	Buttress dam
13.0	11.8	1198.0	Mesa de Valhermoso [18]	Spain	2nd–3rd c.	Gravity dam
13.0	11.5	1130.0	Castillo de Bayuela [18]	Spain	2nd–3rd c.	Buttress dam
13.0?	1?	11?	San Martín de la Montiña [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Gravity dam
12.5	15.0	1100.0	Cañada del Huevo [18]	Spain	2nd c.	Buttress dam
12.5	11.5	1125.0	Pineda o Ca'La Verda [18]	Spain	3rd c.	Gravity dam
12.4	11.2	1180.0	Paerón I [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Gravity dam
12.2	11.0	1115.0	Palomera Baja [18]	Spain	3rd c.	Gravity dam
12.2?	11.0?	1130.0?	El Peral [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Gravity dam
12.1	11.9	1140.8	Moracantá [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Gravity dam
>2.0	12.5	1180.0	Los Paredones [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Gravity dam
>2.0	10.8	1152.0–180?	La Cuba [18]	Spain	2nd–3rd c.	Gravity dam
12	10–12	1516	Band-e Kaisar [30]	Iran	3rd c.	Gravity dam, earliest dam-bridge (weir combined with arch bridge)[15]
12.0	11.0	1156.0	Puy Foradado Dam [18]	Spain	2nd–3rd c.	Arch-gravity dam[18]
11.6	1?	11?	Las Mezquitas [18]	Spain	2nd c.	Gravity dam
>1.5	11.1	1130.0	Paerón II [18]	Spain	1st–2nd c.	Buttress dam
11.5	10.8	1135.0	El Pont d'Armentera [18]	Spain	2nd–4th c.	Gravity dam
11.3	11.6	1230.0	El Hinojal (Las Tiendas) [18]	Spain	3rd–4th c.	Buttress dam
11.3	11.4	1114.7	El Argamasón [18]	Spain	2nd–3rd c.	Gravity dam
11.2	12.4	1130.0	Balsa de Cañaveral [18]	Spain	4th c.	Gravity dam
11.1	10.7	1113.4	Río Frío [18]	Spain	1st c.	Gravity dam
>0.9	10.7	1117.6	El Peral II [18]	Spain	?	Buttress dam
10.9	10.7	1140.0	Azud de los Moros [18]	Spain	1st c.	Gravity dam
>0.8	11.6	1160.0–80.0	Valencia del Ventoso [18]	Spain	3rd–4th c.	Gravity dam
>0.8	11.1	1150.0	El Chaparral [18]	Spain	3rd–4th c.	Gravity dam
1?	10.7	1150.0	Higher Iturranduz Dam [18]	Spain	3rd–4th c.	Buttress dam
1?	1?	1900	Leptis Magna (Wadi Caam II) [31]	Libya	2nd–3rd c.?	?
1?	1?	11?	Leptis Magna (Wadi Caam I) [31]	Libya	2nd–3rd c.?	?
1?	1?	11?	Leptis Magna (Wadi Lebda) [32]	Libya	2nd–3rd c.?	Buttressed dam
1?	1?	11?	Las Adelfas [18]	Spain	2nd c.	Gravity dam
1?	1?	11?	Monroy [18]	Spain	?	Gravity dam
1?	1?	11?	Odrón y Linares [18]	Spain	?	Gravity dam
1?	1?	11?	Soufeiye [20]	Syria	?	Gravity dam
1?	1?	11?	Dara Dam	Turkey	560 AD	Arch dam, earliest description of arch action in such types of dam by Procopius (De Aedificiis II.3)[33]

See also

• Record-holding dams in antiquity
• Roman architecture
• Roman engineering

References

1. Hodge 1992, p. 80; Hodge 2000, p. 331
2. Smith 1971, pp. 25f.
3. Hodge 1992, p. 87
4. Schnitter 1978, p. 28, fig. 7; Hodge 1992, p. 80; Hodge 2000, p. 332
5. Smith 1970, pp. 60f.; Hodge 1992, p. 87
6. Hodge 2000, pp. 331f.
7. Hodge 1992, pp. 86f.
8. Smith 1971, p. 49
9. Smith 1971, p. 49; Hodge 1992, pp. 79f.
10. Smith 1971, p. 42
11. Hodge 2000, p. 332; James & Chanson 2002
12. Smith 1971, pp. 33–35; Schnitter 1978, pp. 31f.; Schnitter 1987a, p. 12; Schnitter 1987c, p. 80; Hodge 2000, p. 332, fn. 2
13. Schnitter 1987b, pp. 59–62
14. Schnitter 1978, p. 29; Schnitter 1987b, pp. 60, table 1, 62; James & Chanson 2002; Arenillas & Castillo 2003
15. Vogel 1987, p. 50
16. Hodge 1992, p. 82, table 39; thickness is at crest: Smith 1970, p. 61
17. Smith 1970, pp. 60f.; Smith 1971, p. 26; Schnitter 1978, p. 28
18. Arenillas & Castillo 2003
19. Schnitter 1978, p. 31
20. Schnitter 1987a, p. 12
21. James & Chanson 2002
22. Schnitter 1978, pp. 31f.
23. Schnitter 1987a, p. 13
24. Smith 1971, pp. 35f.
25. Schnitter 1978, p. 31; thickness: Hodge 1992, p. 91
26. Schnitter 1987a, p. 12; Schnitter 1987b, p. 60, table 1
27. Smith 1971, p. 39
28. Schnitter 1987b, p. 60, table 1
29. Decker 1991, pp. 78f. (no. 4)
30. Schnitter 1987a, p. 13; Hodge 2000, pp. 337f.
31. Smith 1971, p. 37
32. Smith 1971, p. 36
33. Smith 1971, pp. 53f.; Schnitter 1978, p. 32; Schnitter 1987a, p. 13; Schnitter 1987c, p. 80; Hodge 1992, p. 92; Hodge 2000, p. 332, fn. 2

Sources

• Arenillas, Miguel; Castillo, Juan C. (2003), "Dams from the Roman Era in Spain. Analysis of Design Forms (with Appendix)", 1st International Congress on Construction History [20th–24th January], Madrid
• Decker, Alexander (1991), "Einige römische Talsperren im heutigen Portugal", in Garbrecht, Günther, Historische Talsperren, 2, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 73–81, ISBN 3-87919-158-1
• Hodge, A. Trevor (1992), Roman Aqueducts & Water Supply, London: Duckworth, ISBN 0-7156-2194-7
• Hodge, A. Trevor (2000), "Reservoirs and Dams", in Wikander, Örjan, Handbook of Ancient Water Technology, Technology and Change in History, 2, Leiden: Brill, pp. 331–339, ISBN 90-04-11123-9
• James, Patrick; Chanson, Hubert (2002), "Historical Development of Arch Dams. From Roman Arch Dams to Modern Concrete Designs", Australian Civil Engineering Transactions, CE43: 39–56
• Schnitter, Niklaus (1978), "Römische Talsperren", Antike Welt, 8 (2): 25–32
• Schnitter, Niklaus (1987a), "Verzeichnis geschichtlicher Talsperren bis Ende des 17. Jahrhunderts", in Garbrecht, Günther, Historische Talsperren, 1, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 9–20, ISBN 3-87919-145-X
• Schnitter, Niklaus (1987b), "Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Pfeilerstaumauer", in Garbrecht, Günther, Historische Talsperren, 1, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 57–74, ISBN 3-87919-145-X
• Schnitter, Niklaus (1987c), "Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Bogenstaumauer", in Garbrecht, Günther, Historische Talsperren, 1, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 75–96, ISBN 3-87919-145-X
• Smith, Norman (1970), "The Roman Dams of Subiaco", Technology and Culture, 11 (1): 58–68, doi:10.2307/3102810
• Smith, Norman (1971), A History of Dams, London: Peter Davies, pp. 25–49, ISBN 0-432-15090-0
• Vogel, Alexius (1987), "Die historische Entwicklung der Gewichtsmauer", in Garbrecht, Günther, Historische Talsperren, 1, Stuttgart: Verlag Konrad Wittwer, pp. 47–56, ISBN 3-87919-145-X

Further reading

• Vita-Finzi, Claudio (1961), "Roman Dams in Tripolitania", Antiquity 35: 14–20

External links

Media related to Roman dams at Wikimedia Commons

• Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works (see section Saeptum Fluminum)
• "Barrages romains du Portugal. Types et fonctions", Mélanges de la Casa de Velázquez (2006) (French)