Ancient garden from Babylon to Rome
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Water valve
© Institute and Museum of the History of Science

Water valve

Bronze, 1st cent. A.D.
Pompeii
Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei, inv. 17022

These are real water taps which, operated by means of a quadrangular or ring-shaped key, turned the flow of water on and off. They were manufactured in established sizes, based on precisely calculated flows of water.