Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct bridge in southern France, built in the first century CE to carry water across the Gardon River valley. Its three tiers of arches cross the Gardon gorge.

Roman aqueduct: A Roman-built channel or conduit that supplied water to settlements and other users. Pont du Gard formed part of the aqueduct that carried water toward Nîmes.
Nîmes aqueduct: A Roman water-supply system that carried water from springs near Uzès to Nîmes. Pont du Gard carried the aqueduct across the Gardon valley on its route to the city.
Roman Gaul: The territories of western Europe governed by Rome, including much of modern France. The aqueduct was built in the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis.
Pont du Gard upper channel: The water channel running along the top tier of Pont du Gard. Its surviving masonry preserves evidence of the aqueduct's water-carrying route.
Aqueduct: A structure or system that conveys water from one place to another, often across obstacles. The bridge is the best-known surviving section of a larger water-conveyance system.
Aqueduct gradient: The slight, continuous slope that lets water flow through an aqueduct by gravity. A shallow fall kept water moving across the long route without pumping.
Gallia Narbonensis: A Roman province in southern Gaul, centered on the Mediterranean coast and lower Rhône region. Pont du Gard stood within this province's network of Roman towns and infrastructure.
Pont du Gard middle tier: The bridge's middle level, formed by a row of smaller arches above the lowest arcade. Its arches reduce the structure's weight while supporting the upper level.
Roman concrete: A durable Roman building material made from lime-based mortar and aggregates, sometimes including volcanic ash. The aqueduct's channel and supporting works relied on Roman construction materials.
Specus: The covered channel that carried water along the upper part of a Roman aqueduct. The water passed through a channel above the bridge's highest tier.

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