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about the end of the 3rd century. The capacity of the mills has been estimated at 4.5 tons of flour per day, enough to supply bread for as many as 10,000 or perhaps even 30–40,000 inhabitants of
Arelate at that time. It is thought that the wheels were overshot water wheels with the outflows driving successive wheels to the base of the hill.
302:
Visitors to
Barbegal may park where a minor road (Route de L’Aqueduc) crosses the massive remains of the original aqueduct, and, with olive orchards on either side, walk south about 250 meters along the partially erect remains of the aqueduct and through the three meter deep rock-hewn cleft emerging
156:
in two parallel sets of eight descending a steep hillside. There are substantial masonry remains of the water channels and foundations of the individual mills, together with a staircase rising up the hill upon which the mills were built. The mills operated from the beginning of the 2nd century until
230:
965:
286:
was widespread in Roman mines, especially in Spain and Wales. It is possible that the mills at
Barbegal may also have been used for sawing timber and stone when not grinding wheat. The
303:
at the top of the mill complex. Extensive farmland comes into view and spans 180° of the horizon to the south. The site is signposted as "Roman aqueduct" rather than as a mill. The
970:
975:
68:
385:
307:
has an informative reconstructed model of the mill. The site was slightly overgrown in spring 2022; care should be taken approaching and exploring the ruins.
495:
Lorenz, Wayne F., and
Phillip J. Wolfram: The millstones of Barbegal (Possible usage of flour mill in Barbegal, France for testing designs of millstones).
605:
458:
Bellamy, R. B. & Hitchner, P.- S.: 'The villas of the Vallee des Baux and the
Barbegal Mill: excavations at la Merindole villa and cemetery',
530:
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950:
955:
329:
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149:
110:
51:
550:
316:
828:
638:
556:
980:
598:
389:
853:
488:
Leveau, P.: 'The
Barbegal water-mill in its environment: archaeology and the economic and social history of antiquity',
283:
117:, in southern France. The complex has been referred to as "the greatest known concentration of mechanical power in the
319:
examines Roman watermill technology such as that of the
Barbegal aqueduct and mill, concluding that it influenced the
502:
Lorenz, and
Wolfram: 'Arches have no rivals (Unique Roman bridges offer clues as to how it was done centuries ago)',
290:
from the 3rd century AD shows a crank-activated frame saw being used in this way, and another has been excavated at
536:
Valley
Crossings and Flood Management for Ancient Roman Aqueduct Bridges, Journal of Irrigation and Drainage (ASCE)
218:
848:
833:
304:
371:
Kevin Greene, "Technological
Innovation and Economic Progress in the Ancient World: M.I. Finley Re-Considered",
591:
342:
106:
206:
509:
Sagui, C.L.: 'La meunerie de Barbegal (France) et les roues hydrauliques chez les anciens et au moyen age',
262:
628:
916:
843:
725:
324:
985:
807:
653:
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136:, and there are suggestions that further such complexes existed at other major Roman sites, such as
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Coulard, G, and Golvin, J-C, 'Voyage en Gaule Romaine, Actes Sud-France, 2002', pp 124–127
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Bromwich, J, 'The Roman Remains of Southern France', Routledge, 1996, pp. 156–60
152:, where the Arles aqueduct passed near a steep escarpment. The mills consisted of 16
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37:
760:
740:
668:
451:
Amouretti, M.-C.: 'Barbegal: de l'histoire des fouilles a l'histoire des moulins',
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Cleere, Henry, 'Southern France', "Oxford Archaeological Guides", 2001, pp 119–120
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The Report of Field Investigations of the Barbegal Mill and Aqueduct System
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The Barbegal site is located 12 kilometres east northeast of Arles near
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of 77 AD. There are also later references to floating water mills from
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Vertical water mills were well known to the Romans, being described by
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Benoit, F.: 'L'usine de meunerie hydraulique de Barbegal (Arles)',
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165:
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that fed the mills were also built to supply water to the town of
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516:
Sellin, R.H.J.: The large Roman water mill at Barbegal (France),
172:). The two aqueducts joined just north of the mill complex and a
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Model of the water mills at Barbegal in Musée de l'Arles antique
133:
27:
Roman watermill complex in Fontvieille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
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wheels are considered to be the largest ancient mill complex.
375:, New Series, Vol. 53, No. 1. (Feb., 2000), pp. 29–59 (39)
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The Millstones of Barbegal, Civil Engineering, ASCE
323:and their waterpower, which in turn influenced the
109:complex located on the territory of the commune of
62:
47:
513:, Vol. 38, No. 314. (Feb., 1948), pp. 225–231
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8:
966:Buildings and structures in Bouches-du-Rhône
176:controlled the water supply to the complex.
128:Another similar mill complex existed on the
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469:, sixième série 15.1 (1940), pp. 19–80
282:. The use of multiple stacked sequences of
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592:
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541:Barbegal Arches in 'Arches have no rivals'
29:
971:Tourist attractions in Bouches-du-Rhône
364:
178:
574:Description of Mill site and aqueducts
557:"Les moulins de Barbegal (1986-2006)"
7:
976:Ruins in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
386:"Ville d'Histoire et de Patrimoine"
25:
499:, 77.6, June 2007, pp. 62–67
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546:The Roman Flour Mill at Barbegal
481:Hodge, A.T.: 'A Roman factory',
327:, in the fourth of his ten-part
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485:(November 1990), pp. 58–64
455:, 167–8 (1992), pp. 135–49
315:The English science historian
1:
333:, called "Faith in Numbers".
284:reverse overshot water wheels
111:Fontvieille, Bouches-du-Rhône
490:Journal of Roman Archaeology
460:Journal of Roman Archaeology
562:(in French). Archived from
373:The Economic History Review
256:of 25 BC, and mentioned by
224:The sixteen overshot wheels
103:Barbegal aqueduct and mills
31:Barbegal aqueduct and mills
1002:
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520:, 8, 1983, pp. 91–109
506:, September 2007, pp 28–50
18:Barbegal aqueduct and mill
951:Roman aqueducts in France
925:
854:San Lázaro Roman aqueduct
849:Roman aqueducts of Toledo
834:Acueducto de los Milagros
492:9 (1996), pp. 137–53
462:9 (1996), pp. 154–76
305:Arles Museum of Antiquity
35:
956:Ancient Roman watermills
829:Aqüeducte de s'Argamassa
343:List of Roman watermills
961:Roman sites in Provence
930:List of Roman aqueducts
419:La meunerie de Barbegal
629:Aqueduct of Diocletian
212:Remains of the complex
917:Dolaucothi Gold Mines
844:Les Ferreres Aqueduct
726:Aqua Augusta (Naples)
518:History of Technology
325:Industrial Revolution
981:Watermills in France
654:Aqueduct of the Gier
84:43.70250°N 4.72139°E
824:Aqueduct of Segovia
771:Caldaccoli Aqueduct
731:Aqua Augusta (Rome)
579:Photographs of site
483:Scientific American
467:Revue Archéologique
453:Provence Historique
138:Amida (Mesopotamia)
113:, near the town of
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886:Aqueduct of Valens
659:Aqueduct of Luynes
288:Hierapolis sawmill
263:Naturalis Historiæ
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870:Zaghouan Aqueduct
808:Raschpëtzer Qanat
664:Barbegal aqueduct
504:Roads and Bridges
497:Civil Engineering
353:Roman engineering
298:Visiting the site
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89:43.70250; 4.72139
16:(Redirected from
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839:Caños de Carmona
701:Aqua Alexandrina
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569:on 2007-03-08.
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168:(then called
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121:" and the 16
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761:Aqua Traiana
741:Aqua Claudia
669:Pont du Gard
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564:the original
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409:Cleere, 2001
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394:. Retrieved
390:the original
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278:by the poet
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154:water wheels
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42:The aqueduct
986:Flour mills
756:Aqua Tepula
751:Aqua Marcia
736:Aqua Crabra
330:Connections
321:Cistercians
317:James Burke
242:Other mills
150:Fontvieille
144:Description
87: /
63:Coordinates
52:Fontvieille
945:Categories
891:Ballıgerme
801:Luxembourg
776:Pont d'Aël
766:Aqua Virgo
746:Aqua Julia
721:Aqua Appia
396:2007-02-22
359:References
72:43°42′09″N
430:Vitruvius
311:Influence
268:Byzantium
248:Vitruvius
130:Janiculum
75:4°43′17″E
337:See also
280:Ausonius
272:sawmills
200:Aqueduct
123:overshot
58:, France
48:Location
863:Tunisia
678:Germany
622:Croatia
292:Ephesus
276:Moselle
270:and to
260:in his
250:in his
170:Arelate
879:Turkey
785:Jordan
647:France
438:, X, 5
174:sluice
105:was a
817:Spain
694:Italy
567:(PDF)
560:(PDF)
166:Arles
115:Arles
511:Isis
188:Mill
160:The
134:Rome
101:The
132:in
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432:,
294:.
140:.
54:,
607:e
600:t
593:v
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20:)
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