The watermill as a machine was a construction responsible for the grinding of products. This was possible with the help of various mechanisms that were driven in motion by the rapid force of water. Besides its contribution to the local economy it was also deeply connected with the society since its function was related on the one hand with the precious element of water and on the other with the production of the most basic nutrition; cereals. (Ηγουμενίδου 2006: 91). Because of that, the watermills, played a major role and affected the economy and generally the life of the population.
This article shares with the readers a brief description of the watermill of Alaminos village (fig. 1) and of its function. The study of this water is being conducted for the purpose of my master thesis (fig. 1). The specific watermill is located 430m. SE of the Medieval Tower of Alaminos in the following coordinates: 34°48'9.94"N, 33°26'26.76"E. The surviving architectural remains are the water tank, the channel, the tower, and the pit. Unfortunately, the basement where the waterwheel was located, the ground floor area with the grinding mechanism and the millstones and all other components associated with the function of the watermill, have not survived.
The water tank (fig. 2), larger than any other published examples of Cyprus, has a rectangular shape with an external diameter of 32,30X16,20m. Its large axis is directed SW to NE. The thickness of the external walls is approximately 0,40 cm. Until now, no external buttresses have been found reinforcing the walls. The depth of the water tank is 2,50m, indicating a capacity to store 1308.15m3 liters of water. The walls are built-up with ashlar blocks and irregular stones while their internal surface is coated with laminated hydraulic plaster. The openings for supplying the mill with water or for the purposes of irrigation are not visible probably due to modern renovations occurring in the tank. At the last usage stage of the water tank concrete manholes were constructed and metal tubes of irrigation systems were installed at its SE side. This recent addition is part of the recent history of the watermill.
The channel is responsible to supply the watermill with water from the water tank. It is preserved at a length of more than 23,30m., and is situated SW of the water tank, connecting it directly with the watermill (fig. 3). The width of the channel is 59cm., and the depth 1.25m (fig. 4). Internally, it is coated with plaster and its walls are built-up with an isodomic like building system created by ashlar blocks which are alternated with a layer of gravel stones and mortar as connecting material. In floor plan view the NW wall of the channel seems to be built-up with a double row of ashlar blocks which in the middle are filled with gravel stones, while the SE wall appears the same but with four rows of ashlar blocks which in the middle are filled with gravel stones. Furthermore, both walls of the channel are externally reinforced with 4 rectangular buttresses with 5 intermediate arches between them in each side. The NW wall appears to be thinner than the SE; however, the buttresses reinforcing it, are larger and have approximately width of 70-75cm., and length 70-80cm., while the thicker SE wall has smaller buttresses of 17-20cm. width and length 60-65cm. The arches that decorate both sides have 65cm. width and 1,80-3,30m. length, while their visible total height reaches up to 3m long. Their actual height was difficult to determine due to modern backfilling, same as the total length of the channel due to dense vegetation. The channel
The Water tower is 4,35m. tall, while the length is 4,15m. and the width is 3,90m. In floor plan view it has a rectangular shape. It is build-up by slightly irregular stones while small irregular gravel stones were used for filling. The stones are attached to each other with mortar while their color is perceived as white and brown. Inside it, there is usally a tube (penstock) in leaning direction and connected with the basement, in order to “throw” the water on the water wheel. The water tower is responsible to “drop” the water with great force in order to move the water wheel.
The pit is located at the top of the water tower and has a diameter of 3,77m. (r=0,60cm). In floor plan view it has circular shape, while in section appears as a reverse cone. It is enclosed with an iron grate and was difficult studying it because of a tree that sprouts inside it. The water delivered through the channel ended up into the pit and then through the penstock.
At the facade of the Water tower (SW) the protrude substructures of a building that used to be attached to the tower with visible height of 0,95cm, are distinguished. This building had been built with the same materials as the tower. The specific building needs excavation in order to define its identity. Other excavated examples so far suggest that it must be the basement and the ground floor building were the water wheel and mill stones were installed.
With the absence of the two main buildings (which the basement and the ground floor building) would show us how the specific watermill used to function, it is difficult to discuss its function. However, we can say with certainty according to its structure that it had a horizontal water wheel located in an underground basement, but regarding its actual function we can only hypothesize based on other existing examples. If we assume that those substructures at the façade of the water tower are the basement and the ground floor structures, then the general procedure that used to mobilize the Watermill occurred as follows:
Initially, water from the water tank is transported to the pit through the channel. As the water exits the penstock it hits the water wheel, moving it clock wise or anti-clockwise. Through a common shaft located in the middle of the wheel, the motion is transmitted to the upper millstone in which the shaft ended up. The lower millstone was always stable. With the help of a lightening rod (vertical shaft with a fin), the water could be diverted away from the wheel stopping its motion and the grist. The grain was channeled at the center of the upper millstone through a wooden pyramidal tub (Αβάτζη), which was based on the wooden cover of the millstones. Through the turning movement and the friction caused by the millstones the grinding of the wrists was done, while the produced flour ended up into the adjacent flour bin (Ηγουμενίδου 2002: 384-385).
George Filippou
Master student ISA
Bibliography
· Ηγουμενίδου, Ε. (2002). Ο νερόμυλος στον Πύργο Λεμεσού. Report of the Department of Antiquities. 1 (1), 381-400.
· Ηγουμενίδου, Ε. (2006). Οι υδροκίνητοι μύλοι της Κύπρου στην ιστορική τους διάσταση. In: Γρυπάρη, Μ και Δαμιανού, Δ. Το νερό στα παραδοσιακά ενεργειακά συστήματα του Αιγαίου, της Θράκης και της Κύπρου. Αθήνα: Ινστιτούτο των Ελληνικών Μύλων. 87-99.