The History Of Man Made Bodies Of Water

Man-Made Swimming Pool: A Quick History Lesson

A man-made body of water, also known as a swimming pool, is something that has been around for a very long time. Without knowing it, you’ve been swimming in something that’s so ancient, you’d really be surprised.

Sit back, and prepare to learn about your beloved swimming pools.

A very long time ago, nearly 5000 years to be exact, something called the “great bath” was created as the possibly the first and earliest public water tank (another unknown name for swimming pools) in the ancient world. I won’t bore you with the name of the city but this “public water tank” measured out to be approximately 12 meters in length and 7 meters wide with an impressive depth of 2.4 meters. Entry access to this pool was granted by two wide staircases and at the bottom was ledge the width of the entire pool made of brick that allowed people to walk on the edge without getting in.

Don’t you think a concept like this would be cool to see nowadays?

If you’re still reading and you find this interesting, you’re going to love this.

This pool was water tight because of the way the bricks were constructed and laid on the bottom of the pool. It was sealed with gypsum plaster and the side walls were constructed using similar methods. What really makes this interesting is that in addition to all that, they also added a coating of natural tar, only making it, even more, water tight. We can only assume that they did the same for the bottom side of the pool.

The exact intentions for this pool are still unknown but it certainly shows the creativeness of the human kind at a very early age. What I love the most is the methods discovered within their time that proved to be just as effective as to today’s methods. The only difference is that we have refined it more as time has gone on.

Not quite 5000 years ago, the Romans began to revolutionize these man-made bodies of water. With the creation of bathhouses and other amenities, the Romans changed the way people would live forever. However, even back then, it was still an extreme luxury to have a swimming pool.

It’s no secret that swimming pools have a multitude of benefits and even as early at 750 BC, people started to understand this. It’s crazy to think that even after all this time, not much has changed. The benefits include things like improving property value, health, religious ceremonies, socializing and a lot more.

What I find really interesting is the fact that these swimming pools were also used to train soldiers for war. And even cooler than that, along with learning the basic mathematics, writing, reading, and astronomy, they began teaching children how to swim as early as 400 BC.

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Modern Day Swimming Pools

However, despite my eternal love for history, I also stay up to date on common practices. I also like to give credit where credit is due, so thank you Aquadynamics Pool & Spa Care (a swimming pool service company out of Charlotte NC). They’ve been incredibly helpful in providing me with relevant and accurate information and really answering any questions I have. Sometimes you get lucky and find businesses in business for the right reasons, and Aquadynamics is no exception. Seriously, if you’re ever looking for a Charlotte swimming pool service, check them out.

(Click the link to see them)

Be sure to bookmark this blog or check back frequently because I’m going to be adding more content as time goes on. And if you found this one interesting, you’re going to love what I come up with next. So stay tuned!

I’ll give you a little hint at what’s coming next. Let’s just say if I told you how you could really make anything you think possible through a creation, you’re going to be blown away by my next topic.

Additionally, if you have any interesting topics you’d like my insight on, feel free to contact me here.

Or email me at johnthehistorybuff@hotmail.com

I look forward to reading your comments and messages.

John

 

Photo Credit and Information: http://www.swimmingpool.com/pool-living/history-pools

 

Kave Art

Welcome to my new blog! I’m a history buff and have always been intrigued by cave art. This website will be mainly focused on the beautiful cave arts left for us to enjoy, but really this blog will be used for a variety of things.

I hope you enjoy the things I post and what I have to say!