How did people know where to dig a well before they had access to technology we have today (or the possibility to use drills we have now that you can use pretty much everywhere and drill deep enough that you’ll find water anyway)?
If you’re only using manual labour, you cannot dig very deep so finding water isn’t guaranteed. So how did they figure out where they should dig to find water? (I mean especially in the context of wells on farms or communal wells in villages.)
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So in Australia at least, I know that our Aboriginal custodians would find water by watching animals closely. They tend to move towards water sources, and dig, paw, or peck at the ground where it’s close to the surface. You can also rely on careful observation of plants – most plants will be more vibrant nearer to water sources. Additionally, water pools around rocks due to runoff. Also certain types of rock, especially those which are made of more porous metals, tend to soak up water. So searching around large boulder formations can also be helpful. It’s a bit different in the desert than in areas with lots of rivers, but that’s just my bit for this thread.
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