Spectacular new discoveries unearthed include private spa

Lying hidden under meters of stone and ash for 2,000 years, a “once in a hundred” find has been unearthed in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in Italy.

Archaeologists have discovered a magnificent bath house – possibly the largest ever discovered – complete with heated, heated and cooled rooms, beautiful artwork, and a large swimming pool.

A spa-like area sits at the center of a large building that was uncovered two years ago during major excavations.

“It’s these places that are part of the ‘Pompeii effect’ – it’s as if people just left a minute ago,” says Dr. BBC news.

Analysis of two skeletons found in the building also shows the dangers faced by the inhabitants of Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.

The bodies belonged to a woman aged between 35 and 50, who was carrying bracelets and coins, and a young man aged between 20 and 20.

He locked himself in a small room, but was killed as a tsunami of superheated air and ash – known as a pyroclastic flow – swept through the town.

“This is a fascinating place, and everything you can find here tells you about the play,” says Pompeii curator Dr Ludovica Alesse.

A third of the ancient city still lies under volcanic debris from the disaster, but new excavations – the largest in a generation – are providing new insights into ancient Roman life.

Archaeologists have been followed by a documentary team from the BBC and Lion TV, in a series called Pompeii: The New Dig.

The entire site of Pompeii has now been uncovered, revealing clothing and bakeries, as well as a large secret palace. It is thought that all these belonged to one rich man, perhaps Aulus Rustius Verus, a famous politician of Pompeii.

The discovery of the bath house is also proof of their high status, says Dr Zuchtriegel.

“There are very few houses with private baths, so it was for the very rich,” he says. “And this is very large – probably the largest bathroom in a Pompeiian house.”

Those lucky enough to use the baths would undress in a changing room with bright red walls and marble floors from all over the Roman Empire.

Then they go to the hot room, bathe in the bath and enjoy the sauna-like heat, which is provided by a suspended space that allows hot air to enter the floor and walls with holes through which the heat circulates.

Then they would go to a warm, brightly painted room, where the skin would be oiled, and then painted with a curved tool called a strigil.

Finally, they entered the largest and most impressive room of all—the cold room, or cold room. Surrounded by red pillars and paintings of athletes, visitors can cool off in the pool, which is so large that 20-30 people can fit into it.

“In the summer, you can have your feet in the water, hang out with friends, maybe even enjoy a glass of wine,” says Dr Zuchtriegel.

The bathhouse is the latest discovery from this amazing building.

A large banquet room with jet-black walls and impressive antique paintings was acquired last year. A small, adjacent room – painted in gray blue – where the residents of the house went to pray to the gods was also excavated.

The house had been renovated in the middle – tools and constructions were found everywhere. In the blue room a pile of oyster shells lie on the floor, ready to be shaken and smeared on the walls to give them a sparkling glow.

At the door next to this beautiful place, in a small, undecorated room, were found the remains of two Pompeians who failed to escape the explosion.

A woman’s bones were found lying on top of the bed, wrapped around her unborn child. A human body was in the corner of this small room.

“The pyroclastic flow from Vesuvius came into the street outside this room, causing the wall to collapse, and this crushed him to death,” explains Dr Sophie Hay, archaeologist at Pompeii.

“The woman was still alive when she died – imagine the horror – and then the room was filled with pyroclastic flow, and that’s how she died.”

Examination of the man’s bones showed that although he was young, his bones showed signs of decay, suggesting that he was lowly, possibly a slave.

The woman was big, but her bones and teeth were good.

“Maybe he was a high-ranking man,” says Dr Hay. “She could be the owner’s wife – or maybe an assistant is looking after his wife, we don’t know.”

Various objects were found on the marble table in the room – glasses, copper jugs and pottery – probably brought to the room where the two had barricaded themselves in the hope of waiting for the explosion.

But it is the things held by the victims that are most affected. The boy had the keys, while the older woman was found with gold and silver coins and jewelry.

This is kept in the museum of Pompeii, together with other valuable objects found in the city, and we were given the opportunity to see it by the archaeologist, Dr Alessandro Russo.

The gold coins still sparkle like new, and they show us gold earrings with natural pearls, necklaces and intricately decorated jewels.

Dr Russo says: “When we find something like this, the distance between the past and the present disappears, and we can touch a small part of the lives of these people who died in the explosion.”

Dr Sophie Hay describes a once-in-a-century secret bathhouse, which sheds light on the dark side of Roman life.

Behind the hot room is the boiler room. A pipe brought water from the street – some of which went into the cold pool – and the rest was heated in a boiler going to the hot room. Flow control valves look very modern if you can turn them on and off even today.

With a furnace on the floor, the conditions in this room would have been too hot for the slaves who had to maintain the whole system.

“The most powerful thing from these ruins is the great difference between the lives of slaves and the rich. And here we see it,” says Dr Sophie Hay.

“The difference between the high life of the bathroom, compared to the furnace room, where the slaves are feeding the fire all day.

“A wall is all that can separate you from two different worlds.”

The excavation is in its final weeks – but new discoveries continue to emerge from the ashes. A limited number of visitors are allowed to visit the dig while it is in progress, but eventually it will be opened to the public.

“Every day there are surprises here,” said Dr Anna Onesti, director of the excavations.

“Sometimes in the morning I come to work and think it’s a good day at work – then I find out we’ve found something special.

“It is a magical time in the life of Pompeii, and this excavation gives us the opportunity to share this with the public.”