The Ten Books on Architecture, 8.3.10

Vitruvius  translated by Morris Hicky Morgan

« Vitr. 8.3 | Vitr. 8.3 | Vitr. 8.4 | About This Work »

10In the same way, at Hierapolis in Phrygia there is a multitude of boiling hot springs from which water is let into ditches surrounding gardens and vineyards, and this water becomes an incrustation of stone at the end of a year. Hence, every year they construct banks of earth to the right and left, let in the water, and thus out of these incrustations make walls for their fields. This seems due to natural causes, since there is a juice having a coagulating potency like rennet underground in those spots and in that country. When this potency appears above ground mingled with spring water, the mixture cannot but be hardened by the heat of the sun and air, as appears in salt pits.

« Vitr. 8.3 | Vitr. 8.3 | Vitr. 8.4 | About This Work »