Tag Archives: Pompeiis

How Roman Occupation Revolutionized Sanitation in Pompeii’s Public Baths

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The Stavian Baths in Pompeii, one of the first bathhouses built by the Samnites

Icas94/De Agostini via Getty Images

Visiting the public baths in Pompeii meant immersing in water that was often contaminated with sweat and urine, until Roman innovations in sanitation improved the experience.

Commonly perceived as a quintessential Roman city due to its proximity—about 240 kilometers southeast of Rome—Pompeii was predominantly inhabited by the Samnites for much of its history. It fell under Roman control after 80 BC, just 160 years before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the city in volcanic ash.

Much like the Romans, the Samnites valued bathing and constructed at least two public baths—the Stavian Baths and the Republican Baths—after 130 BC.

Dr. Gul Surmelihindi and a team from the University of Mainz analyzed mineral deposits within these ancient baths to better understand their water quality.

Interestingly, the water quality was subpar. “The water in the heated pool at the Republican Baths shows low stable carbon isotope values, indicating a high level of organic matter,” stated Surmelihindi.

Crucially, when examining deposits in the 40-meter-deep well supplying water to the pool, researchers found minimal organic matter. “This suggests that contamination likely happened within the pool itself, probably from sweat, oily skin secretions, or urine from bathers,” explains Surmelihindi.

Time and convenience were significant factors; drawing water from wells manually was labor-intensive, yielding only 900 to 5,000 liters per hour—sufficient to refill the baths once or twice daily.

The landscape changed dramatically under Roman rule. Within decades, an aqueduct was constructed to transport water from a natural spring about 35 km northeast of Pompeii. “Building an aqueduct symbolizes both prestige and priority; if one city has one, others will follow,” Surmelihindi remarked.

Inside the Water Castle, Pompeii’s aqueduct distribution structure

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Researchers estimate that Pompeii’s aqueduct was capable of supplying 167,000 liters of water each hour, allowing for much more frequent refills of the public baths and providing residents with a new, reliable source of drinking water.

This shift led to increased hygiene in the public baths, as shown by the significantly lower amounts of organic carbon found in the drain deposits of the Roman Stavian baths, indicating a reduced concentration of sweat and urine due to more frequent refills.

However, improved water infrastructure did not automatically guarantee public health. Prior to the aqueduct’s construction, many residents relied on rainwater collected from rooftops. Subsequently, drinking water was sourced from the aqueduct via a network of lead pipes. Lead can cause serious health issues, including brain damage according to the World Health Organization.

While mineral deposits over time could reduce lead contamination, researchers caution that each time a section of the city’s pipes is repaired, lead contamination could spike again.

“Pompeii’s elite likely enjoyed access to cleaner water due to their residences, which featured large atriums and roofs designed to collect rainwater in cisterns,” explains Duncan Keenan-Jones from the University of Manchester, UK. In contrast, poorer residents, potentially living above shops, depended on lead-contaminated water from public fountains.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Pompeii’s Construction Site Unveils the Secrets of Roman Concrete Production

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Ceramic roof tiles and tuff blocks uncovered at an ancient construction site in Pompeii

Pompeii Archaeological Park

A recently uncovered ancient building site in Pompeii, preserved since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, has enabled archaeologists to finally understand the process behind Roman concrete production.

Located near Naples, Pompeii was entombed under layers of volcanic ash in 79 AD. Excavation efforts commenced in the 1880s but were halted until early 2023, when extensive new diggings began.

The latest excavations revealed a nearly intact concrete workshop, featuring inscriptions on the walls detailing work schedules and material quantities. Numerous concrete tools, heaps of quicklime, and salvaged roof tiles were also discovered.

Admija Masic of the MIT research team expressed amazement at the site’s remarkable preservation, stating it provides insights into Roman concrete techniques that “laboratory recreations simply cannot achieve.”

“The material was just as it was at the moment the eruption halted the city,” Masic mentioned. “Studying it felt as if I were transported back to 79 A.D., standing beside the workers mixing and pouring concrete.”

The team’s revelations indicate that established assumptions about Roman concrete production should be reconsidered.

Historical records suggest that Romans utilized slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) for concrete, combining it with water before mixing it with other components like volcanic ash.

Contrarily, chemical analyses of dry, premixed materials found in Pompeian workshops show that ancient builders actually employed a hot mixing technique using quicklime, or calcium oxide. This method involved combining the lime with all other ingredients including volcanic ash and minerals, before adding water, which was heated as a result of the chemical reaction, causing some concrete to set.

“Our findings demonstrate that quicklime was crucial to structural concrete,” Masic states. “In contrast, slaked lime was typically used for finish mortar and plaster, where a smooth surface and workability were paramount.”

The hot-mixing method offers the advantage of lime remnants, known as crusts, remaining in the concrete post-hardening, which can autonomously heal small cracks and defects.

“These lime fragments serve as reservoirs of calcium that can dissolve and recrystallize in crevices and fractures, or interact with volcanic ash to enhance the microstructure of the concrete,” Masić explains.

A modern concrete worker would easily understand the Roman concrete-making technique at Pompeii and could seamlessly transition into the workshop to start working, he states. “The chemistry is ancient, yet the technology is readily recognizable.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Archaeologists Reveal the Hidden Secrets of Pompeii’s Vibrant Legacy

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When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, it buried Pompeii under a meter of ash and pumice, effectively freezing the Roman city in time. However, a new study reveals that the story didn’t end there. Life persisted for centuries, emerging among the abandoned structures in significantly altered forms.

Recent findings from restoration efforts in the city’s southern quarter indicate that Pompeii was reoccupied shortly after the eruption and remained inhabited until at least the fifth century.

“Researchers and archaeologists have always been intrigued by the idea of people returning to Pompeii, but this was often overshadowed by a focus on the remarkably preserved artwork from before 79 AD,” said Gabriel Zuchtliegel, director of Pompeii Archaeological Park and lead author of the new study, in an interview with BBC Science Focus.

However, the resettlement was a shadow of Pompeii’s former self. “The reoccupation of Pompeii was not comparable to the city as it existed before AD 79,” Zuchtliegel stated.

“It resembled more of a slum—a highly unstable and unstructured settlement. As far as we know, there were no temples or public buildings.”

A collection of ceramic containers (amphorae), fragments, tiles, and marble repurposed by the inhabitants of this space after 79 AD – Credit: Archaeological Park in Pompeii

Families fashioned makeshift homes on the remaining upper floors of the buried buildings, while the lower levels (previously above ground) were transformed into hearths and caves, complete with ovens and small workshops.

But who chose to return to the devastated city? According to Zuchtliegel, these residents were likely those with limited options. “Certainly, they would have preferred to live elsewhere if possible, but some may not have had other resources.”

There was also an additional motivation: the opportunity to reclaim treasures buried beneath the ash. “A vast amount of wealth lay hidden underground, including metals, statues, coins, and marble,” Zuchtliegel noted.

“People may have initially returned to unearth the ruins of Pompeii… over time, vegetation would have reclaimed the land, creating a green and thriving landscape.”

This fragile community endured for centuries. Alongside the broader decline of the Western Roman Empire, it likely ceased to exist after another eruption in 472 AD. “There may have been general demographic declines, migration, and hardships related to the collapse of centralized governance,” Zuchtliegel explained.

“It’s astonishing to see how people endure and cope in such extreme circumstances.”

About our experts

Gabriel Zuchtliegel is the director of the Archaeological Parks in Pompeii. He studied Classical Archaeology at Humboldt University in Berlin and obtained his PhD from the University of Bonn.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com