Water Resource Management in Achaemenid Era

PERSEPOLIS SITUATION FLOOD PREVENTION PERSEPOLIS WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

• Founded by Darius I in 518 B.C., Persepolis in Iran’s southern Fars Achaemenids used two engineering techniques to divert molten snow

Province, was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire and mountain runoff:

• It was built on an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, •The first was to collect the runoff in a reservoir that was a well

where the king of kings created an impressive palace complex with a square opening in dimensions of 4.2 by 4.2 meters, and a

• Persepolis is constructed on the foot of Mount Rahmat, with an depth of 60 meters, allowing a volume of 554 cubic meters, or

elevated terrace that is partially manmade. 554,000 liters of runoff to be collected.

The water was diverted toward the reservoir via multiple masonry

gutters strategically located around the structure.

• The second technique was to divert water from the structure, should

the reservoirs be filled to capacity; this system used a 180 m long

conduit, with 7 m width, and 2.6 m depth located just west of the

site.

Aerial view from Rahmat mountain of a virtually

reconstructed Persepolis

PERSEPOLIS SEWER

• Persepolis was in essence an important cultural center often visited

(b)
during early spring around Nowruz festival (a)Temporary reservoir (well) for runoff,
(b) Masonry runoff gutters
•  It enjoyed great precipitation and water runoffs from the molten ice

and snow.

• The sewer network assumed importance at this critical time as it

was meant to both handle the water flow downward from higher

areas as well as manage the sewage runoffs.

Underground gutters at the northern platform Remains of the masonry canal north of Persepolis