The Very First Outdoor Fountains of History

The Very First Outdoor Fountains of History Villages and villages relied on functional water fountains to channel water for preparing food, bathing, and cleaning from local sources like ponds, streams, or springs. A source of water higher in elevation than the fountain was needed to pressurize the movement and send water spraying from the fountain's spout, a system without equal until the late 19th century. Inspiring and spectacular, big water fountains have been designed as memorials in many societies. Simple in design, the first water fountains didn't appear much like contemporary fountains. Basic stone basins created from nearby rock were the original fountains, used for spiritual functions and drinking water. Natural stone basins are believed to have been 1st utilized around 2,000 BC. First Outdoor Fountains History 46302511953.jpg

First Outdoor Fountains History 46302511953.jpg

Early fountains used in ancient civilizations relied on gravity to regulate the movement of water through the fountain. Positioned near aqueducts or springs, the functional public water fountains furnished the local citizens with fresh drinking water. Animals, Gods, and religious figures dominated the early ornate Roman fountains, beginning to show up in about 6 BC. Water for the public fountains of Rome was delivered to the city via a elaborate system of water aqueducts.

Archaic Greek Art: Outdoor Statuary

The Archaic Greeks built the 1st freestanding statuary, an impressive achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars. Youthful, ideal male or female (kore) Greeks were the subject matter of most of the statues, or kouros figures. The kouroi were considered by the Greeks to embody beauty and were sculpted with one foot leading and an uncompromising firmness to their forward-facing poses; the male statues were always strapping, brawny, and nude. In 650 BC, life-sized variations of the kouroi began to be seen. The Archaic period was an extraordinary time of change for the Greeks as they grew into new forms of government, created fresh expressions of art, and attained information of the men and women and cultures outside of Greece. During this time and other durations of historic tumultuousness, encounters often occurred, including wars fought amongst city-states such as the Arcadian wars and the Spartan invasion of Samos.