Amazing new discoveries include a private spa

After lying hidden under meters of volcanic rock and ash for 2,000 years, a 'once in a century' discovery has been made in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.

Archaeologists have discovered a lavish private bathhouse — perhaps the largest ever found there — complete with hot, warm, and cold rooms, exquisite artwork, and a huge plunge pool.

The spa-like complex is located at the heart of a large dwelling that was discovered over the past two years during major excavations.

“These spaces are really part of the 'Pompeii effect' – it's as if people had left just a minute ago,” says Dr. Gabriel Zutztriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, who exclusively revealed the new find. BBC News.

Analysis of the two skeletons discovered in the house also shows the horror that the people of Pompeii faced when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

The bodies belonged to a woman aged between 35 and 50, who was holding jewelry and coins, and a younger man in his teens or early twenties.

They barricaded themselves in a small room, but were killed when a tsunami of superheated volcanic gas and ash – known as a lava flow – swept through the city.

“This is a dramatic place, and everything you find here tells you about the drama,” says Dr. Ludovica Alessi, Superintendent of Antiquities at Pompeii.

A third of the ancient city remains hidden under volcanic debris caused by the disaster, but new excavations – the most comprehensive in a generation – are providing new insights into ancient Roman life.

The archaeologists were followed by a documentary team from the BBC and Lion TV, for a series entitled Pompeii: the new excavation.

An entire building has now been uncovered in Pompeii, including a laundry and a bakery, as well as a large private house. It is believed that these were all owned by one wealthy person, perhaps Aulus Rustius Verus, an influential politician in Pompeii.

The discovery of the pigeon is further confirmation of its elite status, says Dr. Zutztregel.

“Only a few homes had a private bathroom complex, so that was something really for the wealthy,” he says. “And this is very huge – probably the largest bath complex in a private house in Pompeii.”

Those who were lucky enough to use the shower room suite would undress in a changing room with vibrant red walls and a mosaic floor dotted with geometric patterns inlaid with marble from across the Roman Empire.

They then head to the hot room, soak in the bath and enjoy the sauna-like warmth, provided by a suspended floor that allows hot air to flow underneath and cavity walls where heat can circulate.

Next, they move into the warm, brightly colored room, where the oil is rubbed onto the skin, before being scraped off with a curved instrument called a strigil.

Finally, they will enter the largest and most amazing room of all – the refrigerator, or cold room. Surrounded by red columns and murals of athletes, the visitor can cool off in the plunge pool, which is so large that it can hold 20-30 people.

“In the hot summer, you can sit with your feet in the water, chat with your friends, and maybe enjoy a glass of wine,” says Dr. Zutztriegel.

The bathroom is the latest discovery to emerge from this exceptional home.

A huge ballroom with dark black walls and stunning artwork from classic scenes was found last year. A smaller, more intimate room – painted a light blue – was also discovered where the inhabitants of the house would go to pray to the gods.

The residence was in the middle of a renovation – and tools and building materials were found throughout. In the blue room, a pile of oyster shells lies on the floor, ready to be ground up and applied to the walls to give them an iridescent shimmer.

Adjacent to this beautiful space, in a narrow room containing hardly any decoration, a stark discovery was made – the remains of two Pompeii residents who had failed to escape the eruption.

The skeleton of a woman was found lying on top of the bed, curled up in the fetal position. The body of a man was in the corner of this small room.

“The lava flow from Vesuvius came across the street just outside this room and caused a wall to collapse, crushing him to death,” explains Dr. Sophie Hay, a Pompeii archaeologist.

“The woman was still alive while he was dying – imagine the shock – and then this room filled with the rest of the lava flow, and that’s how she died.”

Analysis of the male's skeleton showed that although he was young, his bones showed signs of wear, indicating that he was of a lower status, perhaps even a slave.

The woman was older, but her bones and teeth were in good condition.

“She was probably someone of a higher status in society,” says Dr. Hay. “Maybe it was the homeowner’s wife, or maybe a helper taking care of the wife, we don’t know.”

A variety of items were found on a marble table top in the room – glassware, bronze and pottery jugs – possibly brought into the room where the couple had hidden away in hopes of waiting out the eruption.

But it is the items grabbed by the victims that are of particular interest. The younger man was carrying some keys, while the older woman was found with gold and silver coins and jewelry.

It is preserved in the crypt of Pompeii, along with other priceless finds of the city, and we had the opportunity to see it with archaeologist Dr. Alessandro Russo.

The gold coins still sparkle as if they were new, and we are shown gold earrings, natural pearls, necklaces and intricately engraved semi-precious stones.

“When we find this kind of thing, the distance between ancient times and the modern era disappears, and we can touch a small part of the lives of these people who died in the eruption,” says Dr. Russo.

Dr Sophie Hay describes the private bath complex as a once-in-a-century discovery, which also sheds more light on the dark side of Roman life.

Immediately behind the hot room is a boiler room. A pipe brought water from the street – some of it flowed into the cold plunge pool – and the rest was heated in a lead kettle intended for the hot room. The valves that regulate the flow look very modern, as if you could turn them on and off even today.

With an oven below, the conditions in this room were unbearably hot for the slaves who had to keep the entire system going.

“The most powerful thing about these fossils is the stark contrast between the lives of slaves and the lives of the very rich,” says Dr. Sophie Hay. “And here we see that.”

“The difference between the luxurious life of a bathhouse, compared to the furnace room, where the slaves fed the fire and toiled all day long.

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

Excavations are still in their final weeks, but new discoveries continue to emerge from the ashes. A limited number of visitors are allowed to visit the excavations while they are in progress, but eventually they will be fully opened to the public.

“Every day here is a surprise,” says Dr. Anna Oneste, director of the excavation.

“Sometimes I come to work in the morning thinking it's a normal work day – and then I discover we've found something extraordinary.

“It is a magical moment in the life of Pompeii, and these excavations provide us with the possibility to share that with the public.”