Ancient barn conversion with steam room discovered at Roman villa in UK

CAIRO – 1 December 2022: At the site of a Roman villa complex in the East Midlands, UK, archaeologists have discovered a barn, a hot steam room and a cold plunge pool.

Work at the villa site - The Guardian

The discovery amazed the archaeologists. They concluded that this transformation was made by the owners of the villa that dates back to the 16th or 17th century.

A newly found mosaic at the site - The Guardian

The research team found the barn supported by large wooden columns that probably consisted of two floors. It was converted into stone in the third or fourth century, where one end of it became a multi-storey dwelling, and the other was kept for agricultural or craft work, according to the British Guardian website.

The main feature of the dwelling was a Roman-style bathroom with sophisticated underfloor heating and heating ducts built into the walls. A tank outside the building may have been used to collect water from the roof. The team also revisited an area of mosaics that were thought to have been placed in a dining room within the main villa building. Fragments of polished marble, broken stone columns, and a colored wall were also found. The dining room was also built as an extension to the main villa, suggesting that the owners wanted a private dining area while gazing out at the Iliad mosaics.