Archaeology Well-preserved thermal complex discovered in a house in Pompeii
During the ongoing excavations in Pompeii, a large bath complex has been discovered within an ancient house. It is one of the largest and best-preserved private bathing sectors yet discovered in Pompeian houses.
17.01.2025, 11:37
SDA
The bath complex was connected to a banquet hall. The direct connection between the baths and a large banquet hall indicates that the Roman house was suitable as a stage for lavish banquets.
"This is an example of how the Roman domus served as a stage for art and culture, displayed by the owner to win votes or maintain the goodwill of guests," reported the director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, in a statement on Friday.
The baths, consisting of a hot, warm and cold room (calidarium, tepidarium and frigidarium) and changing room (apodyterium), offered space for 30 people. The cold hall, which consisted of a peristyle, i.e. a ten by ten meter colonnaded courtyard with a large pool in the middle, was impressive.
The house was located in the southern part of "Insula 10" and must have belonged to an important figure in local society. The painted walls show that the house had an important history.
More than 13,000 rooms in 1070 residential units, as well as public and sacred rooms, have already been discovered in Pompeii. The ancient city lay at the foot of the volcano Vesuvius. During eruptions in 79 AD, ash, mud and lava buried the settlements and partially preserved the city.
Pompeii was rediscovered in the 18th century. The excavation site, which continues to unearth sensational finds, is one of the most popular sights in Italy.
