The Eifel Aqueduct was one of the longest aqueducts of the Roman Empire .
79-451: The aqueduct, constructed in AD 80, carried water some 95 kilometres (59 mi) from the hilly Eifel region of what is now Germany to the ancient city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (present-day Cologne ). If the auxiliary spurs to additional springs are included, the length was 130 kilometres (81 mi). The construction was almost entirely below ground, and the flow of the water
158-685: A SW-NE direction far beyond the Rhine valley. Since that folding, the Eifel has largely remained part of the mainland. During the Permian , after the end of the uplifting, the Variscan mountains were heavily eroded, leaving only a relatively flat, truncated upland. For a short time, and only partially, this was later flooded by the sea. Depositions from the Triassic and Jurassic periods have survived in
237-463: A chain from northwest to southeast. The youngest maars are only slightly older than 11,000 years. In the eastern Eifel, volcanism began about 500,000 years ago in the area of today's Laacher See; it extended to the Neuwied Basin to the south, and crossed the Rhine to the east. The quantity of basalt lavas, pumice tuffs and ash tuffs produced by the volcanoes was far greater here than in
316-460: A consistency similar to brown marble and was easily removable from the aqueduct. Upon polishing, it showed veins, and it could also be used like a stone board when cut flat. This artificial stone found use throughout the Rhineland and was very popular for columns , window frames, and even altars . Use of "Eifel marble" can be seen as far east as Paderborn and Hildesheim , where it was used in
395-492: A distinctly stimulating climate; the high elevations being considered as highly stimulating. The Eifel is a clean air area with very low air-chemical pollution. On hot sunny days, there is sometimes an increased concentration of ground-level ozone. Here are a couple of weather station examples for settlements in the Eifel. At the time of the Roman Empire the whole mountain range between the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Moselle
474-490: A form into which the concrete was packed. Modern tests of the quality of the concrete show that it would pass current standards. This particular concrete is called opus caementicium in Latin . For the 180 years of the aqueduct's use, from AD 80 to 260, the aqueduct required constant maintenance, improvement, cleaning, and freeing from limestone accretions. Maintenance was facilitated by regular maintenance shafts, through which
553-503: A partial reconstruction was built to show how the original must have looked. Construction of the aqueduct placed great demands on the capacities and knowledge of the Roman engineers. The Romans occasionally suffered problems of low-quality work on large projects, as witnessed by Sextus Julius Frontinus , lead official for water resources in the city of Rome , who wrote: No other construction requires greater care in its building as one that
632-414: A spot on it. Again, if such water is boiled in a bronze cauldron, afterwards left for a time, and then poured off without sand or mud being found at the bottom of the cauldron, that water also will have proved its excellence. Vitruvius insisted, "Consequently we must take great care and pains in searching for springs and selecting them, keeping in view the health of mankind." The water from the Eifel aqueduct
711-750: A tunnel or a pump. The aqueduct then ran parallel to the northern Eifel Mountains, crossing the Erft near Kreuzweingarten (in the Euskirchen district) and the Swistbach with an arched bridge. In Kottenforst , northwest of Bonn , it passed through the Vorgebirge highlands. Finally, it ran through Brühl and Hürth before arriving in Cologne. Other springs in the region that met Roman quality and quantity guidelines were also equipped with aqueducts to feed
790-522: A worker could descend into the aqueduct. Additional maintenance shafts were built at the sites of repairs and at the boundaries between building segments. There were also open pools at points where various springs ran together so that maintenance personnel could keep an eye on problem areas. For the last few kilometres before the ancient city, the aqueduct left the ground and was supported by an aqueduct bridge approximately 10 m (33 ft) high. This additional construction enabled water to be delivered to
869-475: Is a very important and valuable archaeological site, particularly for the study of Roman surveying, organizational ability, and engineering know-how. It is also a poignant symbol for the loss of technical knowledge during the decline of civilisations that between the Middle Ages and more recent times, no better use was found for the aqueduct than as a stone quarry. The Roman level of technology in this area
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#1732773142564948-419: Is an average of 70 days of full snow cover because the frequency of snow at higher elevations is relatively high (for comparison: Bitburg 35 days, Maifeld 30 days), but the level of snowfall varies from year to year. Snow heights vary on average between 15 cm and 60 cm. The humid Atlantic climate can cause extreme variations though: on 2 March 1987 there was 227 centimetres of snow in
1027-408: Is estimated at 475,000 man-days: with about 180 possible construction days in the year due to weather conditions, 2,500 workers would have worked 16 months to complete the project. The actual construction time appears to have been even longer, since this estimate leaves out the question of surveying and production of the building materials. After construction, the building trenches were filled in,
1106-1026: Is located in the "Naturpark Nordeifel" in the Eifel hills, approx. 15 km south-west of Euskirchen and 55 km from Cologne . Mechernich is a former mining town and had, in 2009, its 700-years celebration of foundation. Its local football club is called TUS Mechernich. Mechernich has the following districts: Antweiler , Berg , Bergbuir , Bergheim , Bescheid , Bleibuir , Breitenbenden , Denrath , Dreimühlen , Eicks , Eiserfey , Firmenich [ de ] , Floisdorf , Gehn [ de ] , Glehn , Harzheim , Heufahrtshütte , Holzheim , Hostel , Kalenberg [ de ] , Kallmuth , Katzvey , Kommern , Kommern-Süd , Lessenich , Lorbach , Lückerath , Mechernich, Obergartzem , Rissdorf , Roggendorf , Satzvey (Satzvey Castle), Schaven , Schützendorf , Strempt , Urfey , Voißel , Vollem , Vussem , Wachendorf , Weiler am Berge , Weißenbrunnen , Weyer and Wielspütz . A tour takes place in
1185-596: Is now regarded as the standard work on the geology of the Eifel. The Eifel and its western continuation into Belgium, the Ardennes , are the remains of a Variscan truncated upland , much of it 400 million years old, that is part of the Rhenish Massif ( Rheinisches Schiefergebirge ). In the area of the Stavelot-Venn Saddle ( Hohes Venn ) are the oldest layers of rock, which originate from
1264-460: Is of concrete with stones forming an arched covering. It had a maximum capacity of approximately 20,000 cubic metres (4,400,000 imp gal) of drinking water daily. The aqueduct provided water for the fountains, baths and private homes of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. The aqueduct remained in use until about 260, when the city was first plundered by the German tribes . After this date, it
1343-492: Is to contain water. Therefore it is necessary to supervise all aspects of such a project with great conscientiousness—proceeding fully in accord with the rules, which everyone knows, but only few actually follow. Considering the amount of surveying , underground building, and bricklaying involved, a construction of this size could not be built all at once. Instead, the engineers divided the entire construction site into individual building areas. Through archaeological research,
1422-674: Is west/southwest. A relatively dry and milder climate prevails in the wind and rain shadow of the High Eifel. Cold air from Siberia in the higher elevations of the Eifel has less of an impact on weather conditions, as the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean to the Eifel brings milder sea air to the Eifel even in winter. Looking at the long-term averages, even the Snow Eifel only has snow cover for nine consecutive days in winter, as there are no longer lasting cold spells. However, there
1501-615: The Cambrian and are around 550 million years old. The Eifel is one of the few volcanically active areas of Germany, as is evinced by numerous discharges of carbonic acid , for example into the Laacher See . The last eruptions, which gave rise to the most recent maars , occurred about 11,000 years ago. The basement in the Eifel, as in the other regions of the Rhenish Massif , consists mainly of Devonian slates , sandstones and limestones , laid down in an ocean south of
1580-822: The German Wildlife Route and the South Eifel Holiday Route. Due to its moist and mild Atlantic climate, the Eifel is bisected by numerous streams and small rivers. Impoundment of these streams, especially in the North Eifel has led to the creation of very large reservoir , such as the Rursee , which is the second largest in Germany by volume, and the Urftsee . A feature of the Eifel are its natural lakes of volcanic origin. The largest,
1659-645: The Handbook of the Natural Region Divisions of Germany , divided into three major unit (i.e. two-digit) groups and these were subdivided into (three-digit) major natural units. These divisions were subsequently refined in the individual map sheets Trier/Mettendorf , Cochem (both 1974) and Cologne/Aachen (1978) as follows; for the most detailed natural region divisions in Rhineland-Palatinate, fact files were produced by
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#17327731425641738-617: The Laacher See , is a collapsed, water-filled caldera , whilst the many maars are water-filled volcanic eruption bowls. The largest maar lake is the Pulvermaar . The Meerfelder Maar has an even bigger basin, but three-quarters of it has silted up. The many rivers and streams of the Eifel drain into the North Sea via the great rivers outside of the Eifel: the Rhine (and its tributary,
1817-578: The Moselle ) and the Meuse (with its tributaries, the Rur and Ourthe ). The rivers and streams within the mountain range, together with their larger tributaries, are as follows: Rhine tributaries: Meuse tributaries: Reservoirs Volcanic lakes Despite the interesting geology of the Eifel region, only three comprehensive geological accounts have been produced. In 1822, Johann Steiniger published
1896-606: The Old Red Continent and folded and overthrust in the Variscan orogeny. Only on the northern edge of the Eifel, in the High Fens and its environs, do older rocks from the Cambrian and Ordovician outcrop. Rocks of the Carboniferous do not occur in the Eifel itself, but lie along its northern boundary in the region of Aachen . The Devonian rocks were deposited in an oceanic basin , in which erosion debris
1975-738: The Schwarzer Mann in the Schnee-Eifel , stand out from a long way off as long, forested ridges or clearly isolated mountaintops. The highest mountain in the whole Eifel is the Hohe Acht at 746.9 m. It is the only Eifel summit above 700 m. However, many peaks, mountain ridges and large regions, such as the Zitterwald reach heights of over 600 m. These include two dozen peaks with good all-round views, of which many have an observation tower . From north to south they are:
2054-567: The cathedrals . Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark is the northernmost location of its use, where several gravestones are made of it. Medieval legend held that the aqueduct was an underground passage from Trier to Cologne. According to the legend, the Devil had bet the architect of the Cologne cathedral that he could build this tunnel faster than the cathedral could be erected. The architect took
2133-455: The diphthong and the syllable , -fel . The resulting root form Anfil or Anfali would then mean an "area that is not so level". An - would then be a prefix and -fali , which is related to the Slavic polje ("field"), means "plain" or "heath". W. Kaspers (1938) deduces from the surviving form in pago aquilinse the root form aku-ella, akwella and points to its development into
2212-514: The Earth's surface from the upper regions of the Earth's mantle or, in the majority of cases, gathers in a magma chamber, several tens of kilometres deep, at the base of the Earth's crust , from which magma rises at irregular intervals and causes volcanic eruptions. Volcanism in the Eifel is thought to be partly caused by the Eifel hotspot , a place where hot material from deep in the mantle rises to
2291-483: The Eifel on the Weißer Stein . The mean temperature in the coldest month (January) is -1.5 °C at high elevations, +1.5 to 2 °C in the mountain foreland. There is an average of 110 days of frost, with temperatures below 0 °C in the highlands and an average of 30 to 40 'ice days' when temperatures do not rise above 0 °C. The warmest month (July) only has an average temperature of 14 °C in
2370-577: The High Eifel came to an end about 15 to 20 million years ago, at the same time as that of the Siebengebirge. Volcanism in the western and eastern Eifel is, in contrast to that of the High Eifel, much more recent than that of the Siebengebirge and Westerwald. It began in the West Eifel region of Daun, Hillesheim and Gerolstein about 700,000 years ago and created a chain of ash volcanoes, cinder cones , maars and craters running in
2449-957: The Michelsberg, Häuschen and Teufelsley in the north; the Adert, Hohe Acht and Raßberg in the northeast; the Hochkel, Nerotherkopf, Dietzenley and ruins of the Kasselburg in the central area; the Prümer Kalvarienberg, Hartkopf and Prümer Kopf in the east, the Steineberg and Mäuseberg near Daun, the Hochsimmer and Scheidkopf near Mayen; the Eickelslay and Absberg in the southeast; and the Krautscheid and Hohe Kuppe in
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2528-536: The Middle Ages, the layer of "Eifel marble" from the aqueduct was widely reused as building material. For various reasons, the Eifel aqueduct has very few above-ground sections, unlike other Roman aqueducts, such as the Pont du Gard in southern France : Nonetheless, there are a few places where bridges or other constructions were necessary. The most notable was an arched bridge over the Swistbach near Rheinbach that
2607-527: The aqueduct lost sight completely of the original purpose of the construction. Some say that it carried not water, but wine to the city, for example, the Gesta Treverorum written from the 12th century, and the Hymn to Saint Anno of the 11th century. The Römerkanal-Wanderweg ("Roman canal hiking trail") runs for approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) along the aqueduct's path from Nettersheim all
2686-424: The aqueduct to keep ground water away. Smaller streams crossed the aqueduct through culverts : one, very near the source, is still well-preserved. The inside of the aqueduct was also plastered with a reddish mixture called opus signinum . This mixture contained lime as well as crushed bricks . This material hardened under water and prevented leakages to the outside. Small cracks were sealed with wood ash, which
2765-470: The aqueduct was carried out from 1940 to 1970 by Waldemar Haberey (de) . His 1971 book is still a suitable guide along the course of the construction. In 1980, archaeologist Klaus Grewe (de) completely mapped out the location line and added it to the official German topographic map. His Atlas der römischen Wasserleitungen nach Köln (Atlas of Roman Aqueducts to Cologne, 1986) is a standard work for researchers in Roman architecture. The Eifel aqueduct
2844-407: The arch, the engineers used boards to build the form. Impressions of the wood grain remain in the concrete 2,000 years later. The aqueduct had an inner width of 70 centimetres (28 in) and a height of 1 metre (3.3 ft), so a worker could enter the tube when necessary. The outside of the aqueduct was plastered to keep dirty water out. At several locations, a drainage system was set up alongside
2923-711: The area around Hillesheim and Oberbettingen . In the Upper Cretaceous and during the Tertiary , the Eifel was inundated mainly from the north. Remains of Cretaceous rocks were discovered on the High Fens. Scattered patches of Oligocene deposits can be found there and in the Western Eifel. From the Pliocene onwards, the Rhenish Massif, including the Eifel, experienced an uplift. This led to
3002-481: The basis of a significant mining activity for the extraction of building materials since Roman times. Some of the hills are volcanic vents. The peculiar circle-shaped lakes ( maars ) of the volcanic regions formed in volcanic craters. The first volcanic eruptions took place in the early Tertiary centred in the High Eifel and even before the volcanic activity of the Siebengebirge and Westerwald . Volcanism in
3081-437: The bet and drove the men to work with great haste. One day, the construction workers broke into the aqueduct, where flowing water could be seen. The Devil's giggling is said to have driven the architect to suicide by jumping from the half-finished cathedral tower. Supposedly, the architect's death (and not the lack of funds) was the cause of the centuries-long delay in the completion of the construction. A few medieval writings on
3160-615: The boundaries of these building areas have been determined. For the Eifel aqueduct, they were each 15,000 Roman feet long (4,400 m or 2.7 miles in modern units). It has further been demonstrated that the surveying took place separately from the building, as is in fact the rule today in large construction projects. For each metre (3.3 ft) of aqueduct, approximately 3–4 m³ (100–140 ft³) of earth had to be dug up, followed by 1.5 m³ (50 feet³) of concrete and bricklaying, along with 2.2 m² (24 feet²) of plaster sealant. The complete labour expense
3239-414: The characteristics of the area and would meet today's technical requirements. There were four major areas of springs: The spring area Hausener Benden , also near Mechernich, is interesting because it was discovered rather late and was put back into use. In 1938, while searching for a drinking water source for Mechernich, the workers encountered the feed line for the aqueduct from this area. The water from
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3318-577: The cities of Aachen to the north, Trier to the south and Koblenz to the east. It descends in the northeast along a line from Aachen via Düren to Bonn into the Lower Rhine Bay . In the east and south it is bounded by the valleys of the Rhine and the Moselle . To the west it transitions in Belgium and Luxembourg into the geologically related Ardennes and the Luxembourg Ösling . In
3397-671: The edge of the Eifel and formed larger valleys. The Eifel covers an area of 5,300 km and is geographically divided into the North and South Eifel. It is further divided into several natural regional landscapes, some with further subdivisions. Since 2004, part of the North Eifel has been designated as the Eifel National Park . There are also four nature parks in the Eifel (from north to south): Rhineland , High Fens-Eifel , Volcanic Eifel , and South Eifel , although
3476-429: The feed was simply connected into the modern water network. So as not to damage the spring, they carried out no archaeological search for the construction around the spring. Romans preferred drinking water with a high mineral content , preferring its taste to that of soft water . Roman architect Vitruvius described the process for testing a source of drinking water: Springs should be tested and proved in advance in
3555-465: The first extends only partly into the northern foothills of the Eifel. There are several distinct chains within the Eifel. Since 2004, about 110 km of the Eifel within the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia have been protected as the Eifel National Park nature reserve . Up to 1960, the German part of the Eifel, which belonged to the natural region of the Rhenish Massif , was, according to
3634-555: The first geological map of the area and, in 1853, the Geognostische Beschreibung der Eifel . In 1915 Otto Follmann published a new account, adding to the extent of scientific understanding at that time, the Abriss der Geologie der Eifel ("Abstract of the geology of the Eifel region". In 1986, Wilhelm Meyer finally published the volume, Geologie der Eifel ("Geology of the Eifel"), whose fourth, revised, edition
3713-442: The following ways. If they run free and open, inspect and observe the physique of the people who dwell in the vicinity before beginning to conduct the water, and if their frames are strong, their complexions fresh, legs sound, and eyes clear, the springs deserve complete approval. If it is a spring just dug out, its water is excellent if it can be sprinkled into a Corinthian vase or into any other sort made of good bronze without leaving
3792-558: The higher areas. The level of precipitation decreases significantly from west to east as a result of the rain shadow of the highlands. So the Schneifel receives an average of 1,200 mm of precipitation ( High Fens : 1,400 mm to 1,500 mm), while in Maifeld the average rainfall is only 600 mm. The bioclimatic conditions in the Eifel are favourable. Heat stress and air humidity are rarely present in summer. The Eifel has
3871-603: The higher-lying areas of the city through pressurised pipes. The pipes at the time were made of lead plates bent into a ring, either soldered together or with flanges to bind the individual pipe sections together. The Romans used bronze fixtures as taps . Incoming water arrived first at the various public fountains of the city, which were always in operation. The fountain network was so dense that no resident had to travel more than 50 m (164 ft) to get water. In addition, various public baths and private homes, as well as public toilets were provided with water. Waste water
3950-417: The main line. To protect against frost, most of the aqueduct ran about 1 m (3 ft) below the Earth's surface. Archaeological excavations show that, at the lowest level, the Roman engineers had placed a loose layer of stones. On this base, they set a concrete or stone U-shaped groove for the water and, over this, cut stones and mortar were used to build a protective arch . For the concrete work and
4029-441: The name "Eifel" in the following sequence: aquila > agfla > aifla > eifla > Eifel . Akuella derives from the pre-German and means "land with summits" or "land with peaks". Mechernich Mechernich ( German: [ˈmɛçɐnɪç] , Kölsch : Meischernisch ) is a town in the district of Euskirchen in the south of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany . It
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#17327731425644108-642: The north it is limited by the Jülich-Zülpicher Börde . Within Germany it lies within the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia; in the Benelux the area of Eupen , St. Vith and Luxembourg. Its highest point is the volcanic cone of the Hohe Acht (746.9 m). Originally the Carolingian Eifelgau only covered the smaller region roughly around the sources of the rivers Ahr , Kyll , Urft and Erft . Its name
4187-687: The northern and northwestern foothills of the present Eifel in the eastern half of the Arduenna silva of the Romans. West of the Eifelgau lay the Ardennengau , whose name was derived from Arduenna silva . Following the end of the Frankish Empire the name of the old gaue continued to be used in popular language. Over the centuries an ever-larger region was referred to as the Eifel. Today
4266-529: The region, aqueduct technology fell out of use and knowledge. The entire aqueduct remained buried in the earth some 500 years, until the Carolingians began new construction in the Rhine valley. As this area has relatively little naturally occurring stone, the aqueduct became a favoured place for obtaining building materials. Transportable sections of the aqueduct were used to build the city wall around Rheinbach, for instance. Some of these sections still have
4345-451: The sealing plaster from the aqueduct intact. Thus all of the above-ground sections, and a good part of the underground construction as well, were dismantled and reused in medieval construction. Particularly desirable as a building material were the limestone-like limescale accretions from the inside of the aqueduct. In the course of operation of the aqueduct, many sections had a layer as thick as 20 centimetres (7.9 in). The material had
4424-670: The so-called Eifel North-South Zone. This is a region of subsidence , which runs from the Trier Bay in the south to the Lower Rhine Bay in the north. Through this zone existed at one time a sea link between north and south Central Europe. The remains of the sediments laid down at this time have survived to a greater extent in the Maubach- Mechernich Triassic Triangle in the north and in the Oberbettingen Triassic Graben in
4503-435: The southern area of the German-speaking Community of Belgium . The Eifel is part of the Rhenish Massif ; within its northern portions lies the Eifel National Park . The Eifelian stage in geological history is named after the region because rocks of that period reach the surface in the Eifel at the Wetteldorf Richtschnitt outcrop. The inhabitants of the Eifel are known as Eiflers or Eifelers . The Eifel lies between
4582-424: The southwest. The mountains and hills of the Eifel include the following (in order of height in metres above sea level ): (near Schwarzer Mann ) For a list of these and other Eifel mountains and hills see the List of mountains and hills of the Eifel . Many of these prominent points are linked by the Eifel-Ardennes Green Route , which crosses the east and south of the region, the German Volcano Route ,
4661-412: The space determined for protection of the aqueduct. After a good location for the aqueduct was selected, it was necessary to guarantee a constant slope downwards in its course. Using devices similar to modern levels, the Roman engineers were capable of maintaining a slope as small as 0.1 percent—one metre of fall for every kilometre of aqueduct. In addition to the slope, it was necessary for
4740-425: The springs and streams from the Ville region to the west of the city. As the city grew, this aqueduct was no longer able to provide enough water of sufficient quality: the springs contained a small amount of silt in the summer, and sometimes even ran dry. A new aqueduct was built to bring water from the springs of the Eifel into the city. The Eifel aqueduct was built in the northern part of the region. The construction
4819-421: The state information system of the conservation administration (LANDIS): The BfN groups the 3 (two-digit) major unit groups under the combined group designated D45 . Apart from its valleys, the Eifel is a gently rolling plateau from which elongated mountain ridges and individual mountains rise. The majority of these summits do not attain a great height above the surrounding terrain. Several, however, like
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#17327731425644898-563: The streams and rivers cutting into the gently rolling landscape resulting in the present appearance of the low mountain range with its flat plateaus and deeply incised valleys. Due to numerous recent research projects, climate changes since the last ice age can be traced in detail in the Eifel region. Volcanic activity in the Eifel began 50 millions of years ago and continues into the geological present. It created numerous volcanic structures, lava flows and extensive layers of volcanic ejecta made of tuff and pumice , which have formed
4977-407: The surface flattened, and a maintenance path built. The maintenance path also served to delimit areas where farming was not permissible. Other Roman aqueducts show similar facilities. One of the aqueducts to Lyon ( France ), the Aqueduct of the Gier , was marked with the following inscription: By command of Emperor Trajanus Hadrianus Augustus , no one is permitted to plough, sow, or plant within
5056-491: The surface, and partly by melt-ascent at deep fractures in the Earth's crust. Research has shown that the volcanism is still active; the Eifel region is rising by 1–2 mm per year and there are escaping gases, for example, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the Laacher See . The Eifel is in the Atlantic climate zone with its relatively high precipitation; winters that are moderately cold and long with periods of snow; and summers that are often humid and cool. The prevailing wind
5135-461: The various building sections to be able to join up, while still maintaining a constant downward slope. The Roman constructors of the Eifel aqueduct carefully made use of the natural fall of the land. If the work from one segment arrived too high for the next segment, they built a small pool into the course to calm the falling water. The concrete used for the Eifel aqueduct was a combination of lime , sand, stones, and water. Boards were used to make
5214-459: The way to Cologne. Public transport links are good, allowing the trail to be walked in various stages. It may also be used as a bike trail. There are approximately 75 information stations along the way, providing an excellent view of the aqueduct. Archaeological research on the Eifel aqueduct started in the 19th century. C.A. Eick was the discoverer of the farthest source from Cologne at Grüner Pütz near Nettersheim (in 1867). Systematic study of
5293-401: The western Eifel. East Eifel volcanism came to an end with a huge eruption, as a result of which the magma chamber emptied and collapsed, creating a caldera . Today's Laacher See formed in the caldera. The ashes from the eruption can be detected today in deposits all over Central Europe and as far as Bornholm as a thin layer. Volcanism is caused by magma , which either rises directly to
5372-448: The western part of the plateau. In the eastern part, in the High Eifel and Volcanic Eifel , individual cinder cones and basalt kuppen , like the Hohe Acht and the Ernstberg , emerged as a result of volcanicity in the Tertiary and Quaternary periods and rise above the undulating countryside. The rivers draining into the Moselle , Rhine and Meuse , such as the Our , Kyll , Ahr , Brohlbach and Rur , have cut deep into
5451-550: The whole German-speaking part of the range between the Rhine, Meuse and Moselle is called the Eifel (including several areas outside of Germany, see the → Belgian Eifel ), while the French-speaking part in Belgium and France is called the Ardennes . 762 Eifflensis pagus , 772 Eiffelnsis pagus , 804 in pago aquilinse , 838 Eifla , 845 Eiflensis pagus , 855 Eiflinsis pagus , 860–886 Agflinse , 975 Aiflensis pagus , 1051 Eiffila , 1105 Eifla , 1121 Eifla Müller/Schnetz (1937) believe that an -n- has dropped out between
5530-457: Was 1,400 metres (0.87 mi) long and up to 10 metres (33 ft) high. Archaeologists calculate that the original bridge had 295 arches, each 3.56 metres (11.7 ft) wide, but the bridge has been reduced to rubble with the passage of the years. A smaller arched bridge crossed a valley near Mechernich . This was some 10 metres (33 ft) tall and 70 metres (230 ft) long. The archaeological remains were in good enough condition here that
5609-444: Was called Arduenna silva ("high forest"). The oldest record of the name "Eifel" does not occur until the Early Middle Ages . Following the collapse of the West Roman Empire , the Frankish Empire emerged in the territories of present-day France and western Germany. This was divided into gaue (Lat.: pagi ). One of them, the Eifelgau , covered the source regions of the rivers Erft , Urft , Kyll and Ahr , i.e. predominantly
5688-415: Was collected in a network of canals under the city and led out into the Rhine . One section of the Roman sewer system is open for tourists under Budengasse Street in Cologne. The Eifel aqueduct was destroyed by Germanic tribes in 260 during an attack on Cologne, and was never brought back into operation, even though the city continued to exist. In the course of the migration of the various tribes through
5767-441: Was considered to be some of the very best water in the empire. Unfortunately, hard water tends to produce calcium carbonate deposits, and all areas of the aqueduct today have a thick layer of limestone -like deposits up to 20 centimetres (8 in) thick. Despite the reduction in the cross-sectional area of the aqueduct caused by these deposits, the aqueduct was still able to provide the necessary quantity of water for Cologne. In
5846-475: Was more recently transferred to the entire region. The Eifel belongs to that part of the Rhenish Massif whose rolling plateau is categorised as peneplain highland ( Rumpfhochland ), which was formed by the erosion of the ancient mountains of the Variscan mountain building phase and subsequent further uplifting. Individual mountain chains, up to 700 m, such as the Schneifel and High Fens , run through
5925-517: Was never brought back into operation, and the city obtained its water from the old Vorgebirge Aqueduct. The aqueduct began at a spring in the area of Nettersheim in the Urft river valley. It then travelled along the valley to Kall , where it had to overcome the divide between the Maas and the Rhine . The Roman engineers chose this spot because they were able to overcome the divide without resorting to
6004-489: Was not equalled until the 19th and 20th centuries. 50°30′46″N 6°36′39″E / 50.5127°N 6.6108°E / 50.5127; 6.6108 Eifel The Eifel ( German: [ˈaɪfl̩] ; Luxembourgish : Äifel , pronounced [ˈæːɪfəl] ) is a low mountain range in western Germany , eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg . It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia , northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and
6083-501: Was produced entirely by gravity . A few bridges, including one up to 1,400 metres (0.87 mi) in length, were needed to pass over valleys. Unlike some of the other famous Roman aqueducts , the Eifel aqueduct was specifically designed to minimize the above-ground portion to protect it from damage and freezing. Before the building of the Eifel Aqueduct, Cologne got its water from the Vorgebirge aqueduct, which had its source in
6162-426: Was strewn over them the first time the aqueduct was set in operation. Several springs in the area were fitted with constructions to aid their direction into the aqueduct. The first is at the source, Grüner Pütz near Nettersheim. The most studied is the "Klaus fountain" at Mechernich . This site has been archaeologically reconstructed and preserved. The constructions at the various springs were designed to fit in with
6241-756: Was washed in from the north from the great north continent of Euramerica ( Laurussia or the Old Red Continent ) which was formed by Caledonian mountain building during the Silurian . From the end of the Lower Carboniferous the sea basin was caught up in the Variscan mountain building process, pushed together and uplifted, and thus formed part of the Variscan mountain system that, in the Upper Carboniferous and early Permian , covered large areas of Europe. The Eifel geological structures like main folds and overthrusts can be traced in
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