Well

water · ancient technology · groundwater

Dug for water. Wells are holes dug deep into the ground to reach water stored in underground layers called aquifers. People have been making wells for at least 8,000 years.

Raised by hand or pump. Water from wells is brought up using buckets that people pull by hand or rope, or by using pumps that push the water to the surface.

Built with linings. The sides of wells are lined with wood or other materials to keep them from collapsing. Some of these wooden linings are so old they date back to the Iron Age.

Different designs worldwide. Different countries invented their own types of wells, like the qanats of Iran that tunnel through rock, and the stepwells of India that look like giant stairways going down into the earth.