226 valerie ramseyer
storage basins. Drainage channels chiseled around doors, windows, and chimney
openings protected the residences from flooding and erosion due to rainfall. The
water was then channeled to cisterns and stored for later use (Caprara and dell’Aquila,
2004: 459: Fonseca, 1988: 17, 29–31; Allen, 1969: 52–53). Matera developed a
highly sophisticated water management system over the course of its history. Canals
captured and transported rainwater into a series of underground cisterns and decanta-
tion tanks. The filtered water, suitable for drinking, was then brought up to cisterns
located in front of residences for domestic use and for irrigating gardens. Residences
included drainage channels as well as terraces built out of excavated rock for protec-
tion against rainfall. Canals and cisterns were also used to irrigate terraces (Laureano,
1993: 71–72, 110, 114–117). Other cisterns, called “neviere,” collected snow that
was turned into ice and sold to residents for food preservation. In the upper part of
the city a giant underground cavity (“il palombaro lungo”) was dug out in the nine-
teenth century and allowed to fill up with water. It not only provided water year
round, but also prevented the lower city from flooding during heavy rains. Because of
the porous nature of Matera’s rock, the canals and cisterns that made up the city’s
hydraulic system were coated with mortar in order to waterproof them. Thus the
water management system of Matera was a sophisticated one that required some level
of organized labor.
At the cave settlement of Ghar San Niklaw in Malta, a water management system
has been identified which captured spring water in a large man-made tunnel. The
water was then carried along a canal into a series of small basins, ending up in a hold-
ing tank. The water from here was then channeled through another system of canals
to irrigate the terraces in the valley. The date of the system is unknown (Messina,
1989: 115).
Cappadocia contains probably the most extensive and impressive hydraulic
systems linked to troglodyte settlements. Their main function was to support the
growth of crops both on valley floors and on terraces with retaining walls built in
linear incisions running along the valley sides. The two major obstacles to culti-
vating crops in the valleys of Cappadocia were limited water supplies, especially in
the dry summer months, and soil erosion, caused by torrential rainfall. Studies
conducted in the Valley of Meskendir have shown that the population of
Cappadocia devised a number of ingenious solutions for both draining and storing
water. Drainage tunnels dug out along the valley walls collected and transported
run-off rainwater to a main collector channel where it was stored for later use.
This collector channel was quite large, reaching four–five meters high in some
places. Groundwater tunnels drew water from aquifers, and may also have col-
lected water that formed at night due to condensation. The water collected was
stored in large cisterns, some of which were equipped with filters to prevent clog-
ging. Finally the earth excavated while digging out the tunnels was spread on the
valley floor to prepare it for agricultural use. Thus the hydraulic systems of
Cappadocia allowed for the cultivation of crops in an area with limited water sup-
plies and harsh climatic conditions. Constructing and maintaining such systems
took planning, specialized labor, and diligent maintenance. It is unclear exactly
when the systems were built, although evidence suggests an origin in the Byzantine
era if not earlier. Parts of the systems are still in use today (Bixio, Castellani, and
Succhiarelli, 2002: 279–290; Burri et al., 2002: 370–373).