Overview
- Peer‑reviewed analysis of carbonate incrustations across baths, wells, aqueduct and water towers reconstructs Pompeii’s water management over time.
- Isotopes and trace elements distinguish mineralized volcanic groundwater in early wells from karst‑spring water delivered by the Augustan aqueduct, likely sourced near Avella.
- Limited well‑lifting capacity of roughly 900–5,000 liters per hour meant pools were refreshed only once or twice daily, allowing sweat, sebum and urine to accumulate in the Republican Baths.
- The aqueduct’s estimated 167,000 liters per hour enabled more frequent replenishment and cleaner bath water, but deposits record episodic lead, zinc and copper peaks linked to plumbing and boiler changes.
- Cyclic carbon‑isotope patterns in well deposits may reflect fluctuating volcanic CO2 before AD 79, a tentative signal the authors say warrants further study.