POMPEII EXCAVATION UNEARTHS LARGEST AND LUXURIOUS PRIVATE BATHS

Archaeologists are still discovering illuminating relics from Mount Vesuvius' catastrophic eruption in 79 CE, which occurred nearly 2,000 years ago. Even though two-thirds of Pompeii was destroyed, the city was painstakingly preserved by the volcano's ash swaths, providing archaeologists with a wealth of information about Roman culture and civilisation. Another unforgettable look into the past is now offered by the recent excavation of a private Pompeiian spa.

In Regio IX, a sizable neighbourhood in the heart of Pompeii that is the site of innumerable archaeological endeavours, the thermal bath complex was discovered in a home. The bath may be the "largest thermal complex in a private house in Pompeii," according to Dr Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

The spa, which has multiple rooms, including a calidarium (hot room), tepidarium (warm room), and frigidarium (cold room), is connected to the home's opulent banquet hall. Depending on how many benches are found, the complex also has an apodyterium, or changing room, that could hold up to 30 people.

The experience would prove to be exquisite for those who were fortunate enough to visit the spa. The apodyterium had a beautiful marble-inlaid mosaic floor and red walls. After taking off their clothes, visitors would enter the caldarium and cool off in the sauna-like environment before taking a soothing bath in the tepidarium.

Finally, visitors would wrap up their bathing experience in the frigidarium, which is possibly the most striking feature of the entire spa complex. The cold room includes a large plunge pool in the middle of a porticoed courtyard with ornate frescoes. This basin is thought to hold 20 to 30 people, just like the changing room. Dr Zuchtriegel tells the BBC that during the sweltering summer months, "you could sit with your feet in the water, chatting with your friends, maybe enjoying a cup of wine."

Archaeologists are aware of this bath complex's decadence. Researchers speculate that the house belonged to a prominent member of Pompeii's local society and that its owner used these opulent amenities to win over their guests because of its proximity to the banquet hall.