Aqueducts amaze me...you know the Romans cherished their access to water as a sign of a healthy functioning society because the aqueducts are some of the longest standing roman structures.
Photos of ruins and structures from past eras
What is a ruin? We're running off of "You know it when you see it" at the moment. Ruins should be non-functioning structures of some age, or their function reduced to tourism and the like. Generally speaking, specific items from a ruin should go to HistoryArtifacts@kbin.social Illustrations of ruins (or their reconstructions) should go to HistoryDrawings@kbin.social Photos of ruins back when they were functioning should go to !HistoryPorn@lemmy.world
The Roman writer Frontinius noted (with characteristic Roman arrogance), “Just compare the vast array of indispensable structures carrying so much water with the idle pyramids [of the Egyptians], or the famous but useless monuments of the Greeks!” The Romans had their fair share of useless monuments, but their pride, above all, was the practical works of engineering - aqueducts, roads, bridges, sewers!