Archaeologists uncovered an ancient bath facility under the streets of a German city. The complex was believed to have existed during the Romance Empire.
Bath Complex During the Roman Empire
The discovery was made as a new fountain was being built in Neumarkt, the city's center and a city with a roughly 2,000-year history in the west of the country. The Romans established a settlement on the Rhine River in the year 50 AD, which would later grow into the modern city of Cologne. The current village still has several artifacts from Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, an ancient Roman settlement. The list can now include a private Roman bathhouse, according to German news source T-Online.
Gregor Wagner, an archaeologist with the city's Roman-Germanic Museum and the leader of the excavations, told local newspaper Kölnische Rundschau (via Newsweek) that the opulent bathing facility was formerly a component of a residence.
The presence of painted plaster on the walls could be one indicator of the residence's wealth, among other factors. According to Kölnische Rundschau's report, the old bathhouse also has an underfloor heating system and was built with green marble from Greece. A heated air source would have been used as part of the heating system to warm the floor from below. Pillars would have supported the floor itself.
The facility had various baths, each of which would have had hot, lukewarm, and cold water, respectively. The Romans appear to have recognized the possible health advantages of alternating between hot and cold temperatures, as shown by other bathing places.
Researchers also discovered a room where a boiler would have been situated and used to provide hot water for some of the baths as well as warm air for the underfloor heating system. According to Wagner, the bath complex was probably added to the house after it was built. It's probable that it started out as a living area and was later transformed.
The fact that they discovered something here is a minor sensation, Wagner added.
On the basis of the Greek marble and other objects discovered at the site, including ceramics and Roman coins, the bathing facility has been dated to the late 4th century.
The private bath complex is the fourth item discovered in Cologne to date. However, Wagner believes there are even more hidden treasures that wait to be found. The Neumarkt neighborhood served as the location of a Roman city district.
A "huge" bathing complex from the Roman era in "excellent" condition was also found in the Spanish city of Mérida last month.
How Important Was Bathing for Romans?
It's challenging to envision taking a few hours each day to unwind and mingle when living the hectic, fast-paced American lifestyle. But for the Romans, taking a bath was an essential aspect of their everyday lives, according to the University of Washington.
They were institutionalizing leisure through baths. The baths served as a location for a variety of other cultural and social events in addition to keeping the Romans clean.
Many baths had lecture rooms and libraries as a symbol of the harmony between the body and intellect that bathing signified. It was unheard of for Romans to take a bath by themselves; bathing was a communal activity.
Baths gave friends and neighbors a place to gather and interact, fostering community among the Romans. All social classes in Roman society could partake in them side by side because they were so affordable. Despite having their own exclusive amenities, lawmakers and affluent individuals would frequent the baths to mingle with the general populace.
Along with diet, exercise, and massage-both of which were provided at the baths-baths were regarded as essential components of good health. In Roman society, baths were the epitome of the ideal urban lifestyle, a symbol of civilized culture, and a daily necessity for health and well-being.
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