Archaeology: What's Hot Now: Pont du Gard, France

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Pont du Gard, France Feb 20th 2012, 11:08 Definition: The Pont du Gard is a bridge, part of the aqueduct of Nîmes, which was built by the Roman Empire between AD 40 and 60 to transport fresh water across the Gard river. The Pont du Gard is 900 feet long, 160 feet high, with a maximum span of about 8.5 feet; it was actively used as a source of fresh water by the citizens of Nîmes between the first and sixth centuries AD. The aqueduct of Nîmes was fed exclusively by the freshwater karstic springs from Eure at Uzès and then passed over a series of underground and above ground (covered) structures to the catchment basin in the city of Nîmes, a distance between 50-100 meters and an elevation drop of about 12 meters. A recent detailed analysis of the intact remains of the aqueduct found that discharge was likely between 200 and 400 liters per second. Sources Bossy, Gonzague, Guilhem Fabre, Yves Glard, and Christian Joseph 2006. Sur le fonctionnement d’un ouvrage de grande hydraulique antique, l’aqueduc de Nîmes et le pont du Gard (Languedoc, France). (Abridged version in English available with the downloaded pdf). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences - Series IIA - Earth and Planetary Science: Géosciences de surface 330(11):769-775. For more information on Roman water control the article Aqueducts, Water Supply and Sewage in Ancient Rome from About.com's guide to Ancient History, N.S. Gill This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.

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