Mud, water and wood: The system that kept a 1604-year-old city afloat

heavy posts driven into the ground or riverbed to support the foundation of a structure

The piles are deep under water and mud.

pierpilingfoundation poststilt

Wet, soft earth

Mud, water and wood: The system that kept a 1604-year-old city afloat.

slushmireooze

A city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges

Venice is known for its canals and gondolas.

VenetianVeneto

A hard, fibrous material that forms the main substance of a tree or shrub

The furniture was made of wood.

timberlumber

being in the reverse position to that which is normal

The photo was upside-down.

invertedreversed

to stay on the surface of water and not sink

The system that kept a 1604-year-old city afloat.

floatbuoyant

A large town or city

The system that kept a 1604-year-old city afloat.

townmetropolisurban area

Constant and regular

They worked with heavy tools and needed to keep a steady rhythm.

consistentevenregular

Having or showing intelligence

A smart phone.

intelligentclever

a type of coniferous tree with cones and deciduous needles, often used for timber

The short tree trunks were made from oak, pine, larch, and other types of wood.

coniferousdeciduoustimber

A unit of area equal to a square that measures one meter on a side

The density of plants was measured per square metre.

square kilometersquare milesquare foot

a network of interconnected components forming a complex whole

The system failed, causing a city to flood.

infrastructurenetworkcomplex