Barbegal Aqueduct and Mills

The Barbegal Aqueduct and Mills was a Roman watermill complex in southern France, near Arles, dating to the 2nd century AD. The site features 16 overshot water wheels arranged in two parallel rows along a 100-meter-long slope, making it the largest known ancient mill complex [1]. It has been described as "the greatest known concentration of mechanical power in the ancient world" [1]. The complex used water from an aqueduct to power grain mills, demonstrating advanced Roman engineering and industrial-scale grain processing [2].