Private Roman bath complex found at imperial palace in Serbia
Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a private Roman bath complex within an imperial palace in eastern Serbia. The structure featured underfloor heating, three pools and a steam room, while its unusual circular layout was located on the lower level of a tower in the southwestern corner of the complex.
Live Science reported the discovery. The bathhouse, which the Romans called a balneum, was excavated at the Vrelo-Šarkamen site, a fortified monumental residential complex built at the beginning of the 4th century. The palace is associated with Maximinus Daia, who was Roman emperor from 310 to 313.
Unusual layout
Researchers noted that most known Roman baths had a linear layout, with rooms arranged successively in a row. By contrast, the newly discovered complex was circular and located inside a tower. The bathing area had a domed ceiling with six windows, which archaeologists believe indicates a high level of engineering knowledge among its builders.
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Excavations at Vrelo-Šarkamen have been conducted intermittently for decades. The latest discovery was made by a team from Serbia's Institute of Archaeology.
Heating and relaxation rooms
The complex was divided into two parts: a technical area for servicing the bathhouse and rooms for bathing and relaxation. In the technical section, archaeologists found a furnace that heated the floor, as well as the base of a copper boiler for heating water. The boiler itself has not survived.
In the rooms used by the emperor, researchers found three pools or plunge baths and a sudatorium — a steam room or sauna. Scientists plan to continue their research to determine the structure of the rooms and find out how Maximinus Daia and his family accessed the bathhouse.
