Construction and Demolition During the First Century
For many parts of the world this weekend is Easter Weekend and also the conclusion of Passover. Two holiday rooted in our ancient history. And its times like Easter and Passover that make me think of construction and demolition through the ages.
The Roman Empire represented the pinnacle of civilization during the time of Christ. The Roman Empire spread across most of the the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Africa, and Europe both through the might of the Roman military and the might of its construction.
The Roman Empire built roads across the known world. These roads allowed its armies to advance quickly into battle and allowed trade and commerce to flourish. The Roman Empire also built aqueducts that brought water from mountains into cities, creating the first functional plumbing system.
But for all their construction prowess the Roman Empire did not practice much demolition. Demolition was not an organized construction practice, instead demolition was largely a force of nature. When a fire or earthquake destroyed a building in Roman times the structure was either abandoned, or more likely was simply built over.
Rome, in particular, is a city that is built upon layers of old buildings and old streets. If you were to dig down deep enough you would find history with every turn of the shovel.
