Book 24, Question 83
How did people dig tunnels before machines?
For thousands of years, people used hand tools like picks, hammers, and baskets. In dry lands, builders dug long, gently sloping tunnels called qanats to bring water from hills to farms and towns. They dug shafts down from the surface to check the direction and to let air in and soil out. Some qanats still work after 2,000 years.