The Earliest Recorded Public Fountains of Human History
The Earliest Recorded Public Fountains of Human History Water fountains were initially practical in purpose, used to deliver water from canals or creeks to towns and hamlets, providing the residents with fresh water to drink, bathe, and prepare food with. In the days before electric power, the spray of fountains was powered by gravity exclusively, commonly using an aqueduct or water supply located far away in the nearby hills.
Inspiring and spectacular, prominent water fountains have been built as monuments in nearly all cultures. If you saw the earliest fountains, you would not identify them as fountains. The first accepted water fountain was a rock basin carved that served as a container for drinking water and ceremonial purposes. The oldest stone basins are presumed to be from around 2000 B.C.. The force of gravity was the power source that operated the earliest water fountains. Drinking water was supplied by public fountains, long before fountains became decorative public statues, as beautiful as they are functional. The Romans began creating ornate fountains in 6 BC, most of which were metallic or stone masks of wildlife and mythological heroes. Water for the community fountains of Rome arrived to the city via a complicated system of water aqueducts.
Where did Garden Water Fountains Come From?
Where did Garden Water Fountains Come From?
The dramatic or decorative effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, as well as supplying drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property. The main purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional. Inhabitants of cities, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains needed to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their source of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Serving as an element of adornment and celebration, fountains also supplied clean, fresh drinking water. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to beautify their fountains. To depict the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to extol their positions by including decorative baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
The end of the 19th century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Gravity was replaced by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational events.