A 2,000-Year-Old Private Bathhouse Has Been Unearthed In Italy

Once a large Roman city now preserved as an archaeological site under volcanic ash, this vast complex continues to reveal extraordinary finds, including a recently unearthed 2,000-year-old private bathhouse described by the director, Dr Gabriel Zuchtriegel, as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ discovery. The so‑called ‘Pompeii effect’ is especially strong here, with spaces that feel as if the people had only just left. Archaeologists have spent the last two years excavating an entire residence thought to have belonged to the Pompeiian politician Aulus Rustius Verus, at whose centre lies a spa‑like complex with hot, warm and cold rooms, decorated red walls, a geometric floor and a central plunge pool large enough for 20 to 30 people at once. In one room, a high‑class woman aged between 35 and 50 and a younger, likely low‑class man in his 20s were found where they had barricaded themselves in but were killed by pyroclastic flow, adding a poignant human story to the site’s remarkable state of preservation. It is not yet confirmed whether this newly uncovered area will open for public viewing, so visitors are encouraged to check the latest rules when planning a trip. - Liv Kelly