The contributions to this special issue of Water History were first presented at a workshop held at the University of Edinburgh in late summer 2019 . The editors discussed the potential and pitfalls of approaching the management of water resources in the ancient world from a cross-disciplinary perspective. The potential for such an approach is evident: the strong imprint of waterways and water management systems in the historical record provides a solid foundation for research in this direction, with a variety of archaeological, epigraphic, literary and legal sources each contributing to a rich and diverse evidential base. At the same time, the opportunities presented by a relative abundance of evidence give rise to methodological challenges, particularly concerning the integration of the interpretation of these sources into a coherent whole. Born out of a conviction that by interdisciplinary collaboration, greater and more penetrating insights can be achieved, this issue brings together contributions that aim to make progress toward producing a holistic account of water and waterway management in the Roman world.