We’ve heard it time and time again, “Where did plumbing come from? Has there always been plumbers on which to rely?” There are plenty of questions, and all of them are interesting, to say the least. And one we hear often is which civilizations had plumbing. Although we should probably know the answer, it’s not too often we read up on the brief history of ancient civilizations dating back to prehistoric time who invented what we know today as plumbing.
Since the dawn of civilization…
Since the dawn of civilization, there has been the need and logistical challenge for water supply and sanitation. Where there was no plumbing, people fell pretty hard to dehydration, disease and in some cases, even death. You may be thinking that sanitations systems weren’t the only option for water, but as civilizations grew heavily populated, water resources became insufficient, which is one of the main reasons why plumbing is readily available to anyone, anywhere in town today.
Throughout history, plans were devised to create a resource for water to be readily available to their people, communities and households. And to this day, plumbing remains as a needed resource to everyone.
A Prehistory Lesson
As early as 6500 BC there were notations of plumbing and plumbers who installed such necessities. This time is known as the Neolithic time period, and humans first dug down to permanent water wells where water vessels were manually carried to and from the town in order for everyone to have water readily available for survival. It wasn’t until 3000 BCE that many of the primitive indoor homes created wastewater systems in their homes that were bark-lined, made of stone and created as a two-channel early indoor toilet.
Indus Valley Civilization
One of the earliest civilizations that showed evidence of public sanitation and water supply was the Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization who called Asia home dates back to 2350 BCE and their history shows they had their own private toilets that connected to the city’s sewer network. These private toilets were installed by plumbers, by hand. They were constructed of brick and were set in place by a gypsum-based mortar that could be regularly cleaned. Soon after the private toilets were built, plumbers soon learned how to build more urban areas, including private and public baths with drains for easy disposal of used water.
Don’t Take Your Plumbing For Granted
Sometimes we tend to take our plumbing for granted. We clog the toilet and get angry; we drop a piece of jewelry down the drain and immediately panic; we have to deal with a clogged shower drain with frustration. Although there are plenty of downfalls to plumbing, you have the opportunity to rely on a talented plumber. Be thankful plumbing has made impressive advancements and give our plumbers a call if you have any trouble at all with your plumbing in your Suffolk County home. Call us at 631-292-7757 now!