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.

The Emperor Trajan, whose name graced the road that bore him, stayed at the high-end resort and likely took a soak in the heated waters, the archeologists believe. Even after a hard day's carriage ride on the fringes of the empire, it was still good to be the king.