Researchers study the unique hydraulics in the Barbegal water mills, the world’s earliest known industrial plant (Phys.org 11/16/20)

The Barbegal watermills in southern France are a unique complex dating back to the second century AD. The construction and its 16 waterwheels represent the first attempt in Europe to build a machine complex on an industrial scale. The complex was created when the Roman Empire was at the height of its power.