Secrets of a 1,700-Year-Old Roman Bathhouse in Turkey Hint at Hidden Elite Legacy
Roman History In The Elazığ Region Of Central Turkey
Though archaeologists haven’t discovered a full ancient Roman settlement in the area yet, both the mosaic and the bathhouse suggest that one may be located somewhere nearby. According to archaeologists, at least some of its residents were likely upper class and urban, and would have frequented the bathhouse near Salkaya.
“We discovered a Roman bath that belonged to the upper-level ruling class of that period,” Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Ahmet Demirdağ told Turkish media.
“It resembled our classical bath culture in terms of its characteristics, consisted of warm, cold, and hot sections, underfloor heating, and was a high-level structure in terms of the technique of the period. Looking at the findings, we generally believe that the area was an urban settlement. We will continue our excavations in the region.”
Anadolu AgencyArchaeologists suspect that the mosaic and the bathhouse both hint at a yet-to-be-discovered Roman settlement that once existed nearby.
The Romans swept through modern-day Turkey in the second century B.C.E., conquering the regions of Anatolia and Eastern Thrace. As such, archaeologists have found scores of Roman artifacts in Turkey — including throughout the last several years. They’ve recently unearthed gladiator arenas and libraries, and even unearthed a Roman-era trident from a local lake.
Given Turkey’s rich Roman history, and the discovery of both the mosaic and the bathhouse in Elazığ, it seems highly likely that a thriving Roman settlement once existed in the region. Researchers are now hoping that future excavations can help track it down and that, if found, it can provide more information about the people who lived — and bathed — in the area some 2,000 years ago.
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