Recherche par auteur > Davide Gangale Risoleo

The scientific potential of lead pipes for reconstructing the history of Rome was recognised at
the end of the 19th century, first by Rodolfo Lanciani and later by Heinrich Dressel. Thanks to them,
we began to understand the extent of the social, political, and economic relationships that could be
discerned through the study of lead pipe inscriptions. These pioneering studies inaugurated a long
tradition of research that continues to the present day, and which can be traced back to scholar as
Werner Eck, Christer Bruun and, more recently, Gerda De Klejn, who also had the merit of
introducing demographic considerations into the debate.
However, despite the long tradition of studies, there are still methodological criticisms relating
to the collection of data from these objects. In fact, over time we have not gone beyond the epigraphic
and, above all, prosopographical approach of the first studies, and some important information, such
as topography, metrology, and technology, has been overlooked. In short, lead pipes have always been
described by their inscriptions, without a detailed analysis of the context, the purpose of the pipes and
the technology used to make them.
This situation has arisen because very often these objects have not been studied in an autoptic
way, but by following the work of Dressel and analysing the information that the scholar considered
necessary. As a result, the topography of the finds is often generic, the description of the pipes is
extremely brief and doesn't allow us to understand the flow rate of the pipes and therefore the volume
of water that was transported. Furthermore, the interpretation of the function of the site where the
pipes were found is often arbitrary, based on the simple syllogism that an inscription in the genitive
must necessarily indicate the owners of a dwelling.
All the critical points outlined so far demonstrate the need for a systematic integration of the
information stratigraphy characterising these materials, which can only be achieved through a
comprehensive collection of archival and historical-archaeological information, guaranteeing the
formulation of more reliable topographical and urbanistic interpretations. In fact, these materials
represent a kaleidoscope of interrelated information that varies according to the perspective from
which we choose to view them: social and historical dynamics (epigraphy), technological processes
and trade dynamics (geochemical analysis of lead), water supply and urban planning (archaeology).
These considerations led to the creation of the RHyD (Roman Hydraulics Database) project
in 2023, funded by the University of Calabria and launched in agreement with the Museo Nazionale
Romano and the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali di Roma Capitale, with the aim of
creating a database that would gather all the information on the hydraulic materials preserved in the
two museums, also offering a 3D visualisation of the objects and overcoming the logistical problems
associated with their handling (first and foremost their excessive weight).
The paper presents the basic principles of the project, the first results obtained after the first
year of work and some topographical considerations based on the analysis of some case studies.