Archaeologists in Pompeii discover an ancient luxury spa fit for an emperor under centuries-old volcanic ash

It’s a place to have a spa day fit for an emperor.The largest private Roman bathhouse ever found in the ruined ancient city of Pompeii has been discovered recently by archaeologists under a pile of volcanic ash, officials said Friday.The luxurious private complex, called a once-in-a-century find, featured baths with hot, warm and cold rooms, and a plunge pool.“We have here perhaps the largest thermal complex in a private house in Pompeii,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological park, to the BBC.

“The members of the ruling class of Pompeii set up enormous spaces in their homes to host banquets.”The spa-like structure sits at the center of a residential complex likely owned by Pompeii’s elite and could accommodate up to 30 people.Adjacent to the bathhouse, archaeologists previously uncovered a black-walled banquet hall, adorned with images from Roman and Greek mythology.“The members of the ruling class of Pompeii set up enormous spaces in their homes to host banquets,” explained Zuchtriegel.

“They had the function of creating consensus, promoting an election campaign, closing deals.It was an opportunity to show the wealth in which they lived and also to have a nice thermal treatment.”The baths were unearthed in a dig zone known as Region IX, an area in Pompeii Park that remains largely unearthed and is the site of major archaeological excavations.

Recently, teams of archaeologists have also uncovered a nearby bakery and laundry, as well as other parts of this house.The house is thought to have been owned by Aulus Rustius Verus, a wealthy and influential Pompeii politician.In the year 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, killing ten percent of Pompeii’s 20,000 residents — coating their remains and the ruins of the city in ash.

That coating preserved the remains of the citizens of Pompeii for nearly two millennia.“Every day here is a surprise,” says Dr Anna Onesti, director of the excavation.“Sometimes in the morning...