The arch was used by the early cultures of the Mediterranean area chiefly for underground drains, but it was the Romans who first developed and used the arch extensively in aboveground structures.

在地中海区域的早期文明中，拱形结构主要被运用在地下排水管上，但在地上建筑中首先发展并广泛使用拱门的是罗马人。