are facing water shortage and rain scarcity [7]. It was much easier for people to reach the ground water and the source was also maintained and managed well with deeper trenches implying more reliable, year-round ground water. The galleries and chambers surrounding these step-wells became cool retreats during the hot summers [8]. They also spurred on the incorporation of water into the culture they were so popular in such that step-wells became the sites of social gatherings and religious rites. Fascinatingly, step-wells were initially used as an art form by the Hindus, but were popularized under the Muslim rule.
The above-mentioned wells are impressive structures built in the past that would have no doubt required numerous resources and countless man-hours. Yet, other devices and gadgets on a smaller and simpler scale were also prevalent in the past.
A shadoof, commonly called a well pole, is an irrigation tool used in early Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. It is typically a bucket connected to a lever with a …show more content…
In the past, spiles were wooden, probably made up of bamboo, and the metal ones are common only in recent years. To get water from a tree with a spline, it should be struck into the tree such that it hits a xylem tube, not a phloem tube which will yield sap instead. The spile will bear water after a while. Interestingly spiles are used to control the flow of air into and carbon dioxide out of a cask of ale as well. Though spiles were once lesser known, it has become popular ever since it was utilized to obtain water in the novel and movie ‘Catching Fire’ of ‘The Hunger Games’ series.
The preceding systems and gadgets are just some of the countless means by which humans procured water. Each and every one of those methods would have undeniably impacted humanity in its own way. Looking at the bigger picture, we get a brief overview of how technology has advanced over the