This ancient Roman water mill hides clues that workers took a few months off | Science

Bread and circuses may have appeased the ancient Romans, but perhaps not all year. A new study on the chemical deposits of the former Roman watermill Barbegal (pictured) in southern France, considered one of the very first large-scale industrial complexes in history, reveals that the mill was only used for the seasonal manufacture of flour.

The mill, built on a rocky hill in the 2nd century BC, once deviated from spring water rich in minerals, which descended into 16 water wheels that would have transformed the millstones that milled wheat into flour. Although the woodwork has long since decayed, mineral deposits left by the water formed around a portion of the wood, preserving the remains of organic matter.

The researchers identified isotopes – or forms – of carbon and oxygen in 142 of these deposits, knowing that different isotopic ratios occur during different parts of the year. By analyzing isotopes in progressive mineral layers – much like reading tree rings – researchers noticed a seasonal pattern indicating that the mill was only used from winter to early summer. Scientists progress. The workers were apparently late in the summer and autumn.

This model corresponds to the Roman maritime season, note the researchers. Although most researchers thought that the Barbegal water mill was used to produce Roman flour throughout the year, the seasonal nature of the plant suggests that it was primarily used sea ​​bread. and flour.