Over time, these chalky white deposits can build up on rock, brick, concrete, or metal surfaces where water runs. The longer water runs through a copper pipe, for example, the more calcium carbonate deposits will build up inside. Eventually, they can become so thick that water flow is restricted or blocked altogether, at which point a plumber will need to be summoned to clean the pipes.
Limescale buildup could be a problem in aqueducts, too. The spring water harvested for aqueduct transport would have picked up dissolved deposits of calcium carbonate from limestone and other surrounding rocks. When passing through aqueduct channels, it would have left behind a trail of limescale. The continuous flow of water could have resulted in significant limescale accumulation over the years.
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz Analysis of wall decoration dating to the second century provides new insights into marble extraction and processing When it comes to ancient Roman imperial architecture, most people usually have a mental image of white marble statues, columns, or slabs. While it is true that many buildings and squares at that time were decorated with marble, it was frequently not white but colored marble that was employed, such as the green-veined Cipollino Verde, which was extracted on the Greek island of Euboea. Because marble was very expensive, it was often placed in thin slabs as a cladding over other, cheaper stones. “To date, however, no actual remains of marble workshops from the Roman imperial era have been found, so little is known about marble processing during this period,” said Professor Cees Passchier of the Institute of Geosciences at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). Together with o