Archaeologists discover an ancient Roman hot tub

(Image credit: Courtesy Infotroyan.eu)

published 7 May 2015

Archaeologists excavating an ancient Roman resort in Bulgaria have uncovered the remains of a heated hot tub that may once have soaked the imperial buttocks of Emperor Trajan himself.

The bath, according to Archeology in Bulgaria, was part of a fancy hotel on a well-traversed highway, the Via Trajana, that once stretched into the Balkans. Researchers have found evidence of a spa complex there, including heated floors, an indoor pool, and the hot tub. The latter "consists of a furnace heating up air which is then directed to a shallow pool similar to a modern-day jacuzzi," Ancient Origins reports. The location might be unusual, but the plumbing wasn't; the Romans loved their bath houses, called thermae, and built elaborate heating systems to keep the waters toasty.