History of Sanitation

HISTORY OF SANITATION 9 Old Roman Water Wheel cistern or reservoir of which we would prevent the growth of vegetation, while the thick walls of rock, affording a shelter from the sun, would keep the water cool and refreshing. It is worthy of noting here that the ancients seem to have been aware of the movement of ground water through the soil, a fact that was forgot- ten and rediscovered in comparatively recent times. In Prov. 5-15 the statement, “Drink waters out of thine own cistern and running waters out of thine own well,” would lead to this conclusion, unless, indeed, they classed a bubbling spring as a well. The earliest known have any authentic knowledge are the masonry cisterns or reservoirs that stored water for the supply of the ancient city of Carthage. These cisterns, which are wonderfully well preserved, are still to be seen on the site of the ancient Water Carrier with Jar Punic city, but outside of what was the walled city, before it was totally destroyed by the Romans. These cisterns were originally covered with earth, and it is due to that fact, perhaps, that they escaped destruc- tion when the Romans razed the city. It is easy to criticise the judgment of others, and no doubt if all the facts were known, there were good and sufficient reasons why the Roman general did not destroy the cisterns and cut off the supply of water from Carthage during the siege