Water Technology in the Middle Ages: Cities, Monasteries, and Waterworks after the Roman Empire

Focusing attention on gravity—fed water—flow systems in medieval cities and monasteries, Water Technology in the Middle Ages: Cities, Monasteries, and Waterworks after the Roman Empire challenges the view that hydraulic engineering died with the Romans and remained moribund until the Renaissance. Roberta Magnusson explores the systems' technologies—how they worked, what uses the water served—and also the social rifts that created struggles over access to this basic necessity.

Mindful of theo...