Practice question · Multiple choice
The Romans did not invent the arch. Mesopotamians and Etruscans used it earlier. What did the Romans actually contribute?
Hints
- Ask what changes when a known technique meets cheap concrete and organised labour.
- Invention and exploitation are different achievements.
Show the answer
C. Systematic exploitation at scale, as repeatable infrastructure
Why
Scaling an existing technique is its own contribution. The Pont du Gard is not a new idea about arches; it is what an old idea becomes with concrete and an empire behind it.
Practise Roman Art and Engineering
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