WaterDecor · Water for the People, Décor for the City: Nymphaea and Public Fountains in Iudaea/Syria-Palaestina and Provincia Arabia from the Roman until the Byzantine Periods (ca. 1st BCE-7th CE)

Hydraulic installations play a fundamental role in human survival, development, and the prosperity of urban settlements, mostly in semi-arid regions. In this regard, WaterDecor plans to investigate nymphaea and public fountains in Iudaea/Syria-Palaestina and Provincia Arabia from the establishment of the Roman province until the Byzantine Period (ca. 1st BCE-7th century CE). It analyses the ways in which these water management installations were built across this vast semi-arid geographical area and evaluates cultural, social, and economic implications. Through a historical perspective and the record of past societies, this project embraces the EU’s challenges in the field of climate action and resource efficiency, bringing awareness to the importance of conscious water use. Furthermore, in line with the strategic framework for the EU’s cultural policy and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), this research promotes international cultural relations with southern neighbours (Israel, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon). The project’s novelty consists in considering a group of infrastructures from a vast geographic area over time and, most importantly, it undertakes an overall examination that moves away from traditional studies based on individual monuments or typology stricto sensu. It delves into a multitude of aspects that makes it possible to enhance several issues spanning from ancient technologies to climate change issues. The specific objective focuses on nymphaea and public fountains in a context of semi-arid o arid climatic conditions, which makes the construction of large water-consuming structures challenging. The second objective investigates urban and socio-cultural contexts and how these constructions were perceived by the local population. The third objective examines climate change effects on these structures and, in general, on the urban water distribution system.