Networks of Inequality: Access to Water in Roman Pompeii

Abstract

The inequality of ancient life is difficult to measure, yet this article outlines a methodology to do it. Measured distances produced by the ArcGIS Network Analyst and its Closest Facility tool can be utilized as data sets to calculate the Gini coefficients of access to water in Roman Pompeii 79 CE, when the city was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In the focus is the distance from a private dwelling to public fountains and the baths, but other aspects, such as the estimated household need for water and the capacity of the Pompeian baths, are included in the Gini calculations to form a more accurate estimation of inequality. As a result, it is possible to estimate an aspect of health inequality in Pompeii, which can be compared to other sites and eras, if their access to water is measured similarly and calculated as a Gini value.