Hydraulic Technology Inside an Hacienda in the Potosino Highlands during the Porfiriato. The Dam-Well Hydraulic System

Abstract

The objective of this research is to describe the hydraulic system dam-well of Pozo Salado during the porfiriato, including the collection, extraction, distribution of water and the machinery of the waterwheel. A topographic and architectural survey was carried out through direct inventory, accompanied by the preparation of sketches and the generation of a photographic archive. This research revealed the existence of an underground aqueduct that redirected the water table from a dam to a well, where it was extracted by means of a wooden waterwheel. Despite the lack of documentary information, the current deterioration of the infrastructure and the disappearance of structural elements, the findings published here are a contribution to the knowledge of the dam-well system in the altiplano potosino, a technology very similar to that reported in Spain and one of the most advanced of the Cruces hacienda during the nineteenth century.