Public Water Features Recorded by History

As originally conceived, fountains were designed to be practical, guiding water from streams or aqueducts to the residents of cities and villages, where the water could be utilized for cooking food, cleaning, and drinking. A supply of water higher in elevation than the fountain was required to pressurize the flow and send water squirting from the fountain's spout, a technology without equal until the later half of the nineteenth century. Commonly used as memorials and commemorative edifices, water fountains have impressed men and women from all over at bing the world throughout the ages. When you enjoy a fountain nowadays, that is not what the first water fountains looked like. Created for drinking water and ceremonial reasons, the first fountains were very simple carved stone basins. The oldest stone basins are believed to be from around 2000 B.C.. Gravity was the energy source that controlled the oldest water fountains. Positioned near reservoirs or creeks, the practical public water fountains provided the local citizens with fresh drinking water. Fountains with decorative Gods, mythological monsters, and creatures began to appear in Rome in about 6 B.C., built from stone and bronze. The people of Rome had an elaborate system of aqueducts that furnished the water for the many fountains that were placed throughout the community.