Archaeologists have made a once-in-a-century discovery at Pompeii, the ancient city buried under volcanic ash nearly 2,000 years ago.
An international team of experts has uncovered a massive private bathhouse, potentially the largest ever found in the city. This remarkable find sheds new light on Pompeii’s reputation as a hub of innovation and wealth.
Complete with hot and cold rooms, intricate artwork, and a sizable pool, the bathhouse is believed to have accommodated up to 30 people. However, workers were also present on the site.
In one cramped room, the remains of two individuals were found – a man believed to be a slave, and a high-status woman.
Dr Sophie Hay, an archaeologist working at the site in Pompeii, said: "Watching this dig unfold has brought the past back to life. It has really put a microscope on the contrasting lives of the Romans who lived and worked in these properties.”
However, it’s not just the bathhouse that was uncovered – an entire block of Pompeii was also discovered. This includes a laundry, a bakery and a large private home that was directly connected to the bathhouse.
It is believed that all of these buildings belonged to one very wealthy individual, influential politician Aulus Rustius Verus.
The direct connection of the hot bathhouse rooms with the large house suggests that the Roman house lent itself to being a stage of private celebrations. Private baths were a rarity in Pompeii reserved only for the rich.
While this discovery highlights the prosperity of certain areas of Pompeii, it also provides valuable insights into the city’s technological advances. Behind the hot room, archaeologists uncovered a boiler room, where a pipe system ingeniously channelled water directly from the street.
Some water was syphoned off to the cold plunge pool and the rest headed to a large boiler, which would have been operated by slaves.
"The most powerful thing from these excavations is that stark contrast between the lives of the slaves and the very, very rich. And here we see it," says Hay.
"The difference between the sumptuous life of the bathhouse, compared to the furnace room, where the slaves would be feeding the fire toiling all day."
The remains of the two Pompeiians in the cramped room reveal more inequality. The skeleton of the woman found on the bed was found with gold and silver coins and jewellery.
In stark contrast, the remains of a young man in the same room showed significant signs of physical wear and tear, despite his age, indicative of a lower social standing and likely a life of labour. In contrast, the woman’s bones and teeth were in good condition.
The man is believed to have been killed by a falling wall while the woman was killed by the pyroclastic flow of the volcano.
This may not be the end of the discoveries. While the excavation is entering its final weeks, new material could still be unearthed.
A new BBC Two documentary, Pompeii: The New Dig - House of Treasures – airing 9pm on Monday, 20 January – will reveal more about the new finds.
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