One of the things about ancient Roman civilization that most impresses people today is the Roman’s use of technology.
The ancient Romans came up with new technologies to improve the city’s sanitation systems, roads and buildings.
They developed a system of aqueducts that piped freshwater into the city, and they built sewers that removed the city’s waste.
The farmers grew olives, grapes, wheat and other fruits and vegetables. They used tools seeds and techniques created earlier throughout the Mediterranean world. These included irrigation systems and ox-drawn plows.
Ancient Rome’s have a vast network of roads that reached throughout the empire. More than 50,000 miles of roads extended from Rome to the farthest provinces.
Army engineers often designed and constructed roads as a means to swiftly move army legions from place to place and to keep them supplied.
The Romans developed new techniques and used materials such as volcanic soil from Pozzuoli, a village near Naples, to make their cement harder and stronger.
Some of the most important construction methods that the Romans used in their building projects were arches, vaults and domes. Arches support weight better than flat-topped openings.
A doctor in ancient Rome had little or no training. Most of them simply learned their skills as apprentices to other doctors.
Roman doctors tackled some surprisingly delicate operations, such as removing small tumors and repairing a hernia. They even removed cataracts from the eyes.
Their medical tools were often made from bronze, as this was a practical and relatively cheap way to produce surgical instruments, though the best doctors preferred instruments made from fine quality.
Ancient Roman technology
