<p>Introducing the Wittfogel antinomy between ‘oriental despotism’ and the occidental ‘multicentre society’, this analysis focused on climatic factors rather than social structure. The paper examines first methodological problems in approaching the history of water technologies from the point of view of the environment, starting from recent researches about climate change in the Zagros mountains during the Neolithic period. The analytic approaches include methods of palaeoclimatology, archaeology and linguistic analysis. Both climate conditions and demographic context were used to outline possible trends in the technology transfer of hydraulic mills in a vast area (Iran, the Middle East, Morocco, and Italy), with a focus on the hydrogeological features of karst lands. Starting from the ancient drop-tower (<i>aruba penstock</i>) mill of the Zagros mountains and considering other typologies of mills for a long-lasting period, several case studies are described with respect to the different shapes of water wheels, the supply of water and the territorial context, with special attention given to the grinding of wheat. The final focus is on the future of old hydraulic wheel networks, with the goal of guiding preservation policies for industrial heritage in Italy and Europe and the reuse of hydraulic power with modern turbines in the context of developing countries.</p>