Original scientific paper
A study of Roman water intake structures at the Jadro River’s spring
Katja Marasović
orcid.org/0000-0002-3559-3219
; University of Split, CROATIA, 21000 Split
Jure Margeta
; University of Split, CROATIA, 21000 Split
Abstract
Access to quality potable water in sufficient quantity
has always been a precondition for the sustainability
of every form of life in a certain area. An excellent example is the spring of the Jadro River, situated near
a well-sheltered and accessible coast. This water resource
was of great importance to the emergence and
development of two significant Roman settlements:
Salona, the largest Roman city on the eastern Adriatic
coast, and Emperor Diocletian’s palace. Due to a sufficient
capacity and quantity of quality water, and the
elevation of the spring, two reliable water supply systems
were constructed: the Salona Aqueduct, which
functioned continually from the 1st century BC to the
7th century AD, and the Diocletian Aqueduct, which
functioned from the 4th to the 7th centuries. The latter,
over half of which is still in use today, was reconstructed
in the late 19th century. This paper will present
the results obtained by analysis of the two Roman
water intake structures at the Jadro River’s spring, one
belonging to the Salona Aqueduct and the other to the
Diocletian Aqueduct. The chronological development
of these water intake structures at the Jadro’s spring
will be presented through six distinctive phases from
the natural terrain up to the present time.
Keywords
Jadro; water supply system; aqueduct; Salona; Diocletian’s Palace
Hrčak ID:
193169
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2017.
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