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Plumbing

Photograph of the Pont du Gard in France, one of the most famous ancient Roman aqueducts^[53]

Ancient Minoan private homes had running water.^[54] A bathtub virtually identical to modern ones was unearthed at the Palace of Knossos.^[54][55] Several Minoan private homes also had toilets, which could be flushed by pouring water down the drain.^[54] The ancient Romans had many public flush toilets,^[55] which emptied into an extensive sewage system.^[55] The primary sewer in Rome was the Cloaca Maxima;^[55] construction began on it in the sixth century BCE and it is still in use today.^[55]

The ancient Romans also had a complex system of aqueducts,^[53] which were used to transport water across long distances.^[53] The first Roman aqueduct was built in 312 BCE.^[53] The eleventh and final ancient Roman aqueduct was built in 226 CE.^[53] Put together, the Roman aqueducts extended over 450 kilometers,^[53] but less than seventy kilometers of this was above ground and supported by arches.^[53]