The ancient Roman pools discovered beneath a scrapyard have left historians scratching their heads in confusion. Despite our extensive knowledge of Roman history, thanks to authors like Cicero and cities like Pompeii, these mysterious pools remind us that there's still so much we don't know about this fascinating civilization.
Imagine the surprise when builders, preparing to construct a block of flats in an eastern suburb of Rome, stumbled upon these massive basins. Measuring up to four meters deep and 28 meters long, these pools, lined with solid stone and concrete, were fed by water channels from a nearby stream dating back to the 2nd century BC. But here's where it gets controversial... what were they used for?
Archaeologist Fabrizio Santi, who inspected the pools, admitted, "We really have no clear idea what they were for." The pools' unique features, including wide ramps and two large niches in each side wall, only add to the mystery. And this is the part most people miss... the circular hole in the end wall, created by embedding a large ceramic dolium with its opening facing outwards, further confounds experts.
"The dolium is intact, creating an internal space of over a meter for water to flow into," explained a member of the excavation team. But what was its purpose? Experts have ruled out swimming pools, sheep dips, or ship-building tanks. Could they have been reservoirs? Perhaps, but the ramps suggest another, more intriguing use.
Alongside the pools, archaeologists discovered a monumental tomb containing a large sarcophagus, yet to be opened, and three funeral urns, one of which held part of a man's skull with evidence of surgical drilling. This rare find from the Republican era could be a clue to the pools' purpose, suggesting they were part of the property of the person in the sarcophagus.
But here's another twist... yards away, the remains of a 2nd-century BC shrine were discovered, built on top of earlier signs of worship, including votive objects like ceramic models of feet. Six bronze statuettes, measuring about 9cm long and dating to the construction of the shrine, were also found, three of which depicted Hercules, brandishing a club and holding a lion's skin. "We think this was a shrine to Hercules, and the worship of Hercules was linked to water," said Santi. Could the pools have had a religious purpose, connected to the worship of Hercules?
The discovery of these pools follows the 2019 excavation of an even larger pool in another suburb of modern Rome, which also left experts stumped. Santi and his colleagues believe the pools likely had a religious function, but as he said, "We still don't know exactly what they did with them."
The tomb and shrine will be preserved, but the pools will be covered up after further study, with no new building work allowed on top of them. Santi believes the pools stopped being used in the 1st century AD, after Rome's transition from republic to empire, citing the discovery of peach stones in one of the pools as a key clue. "Peaches did not appear in Rome until the imperial era, so if someone was throwing peach stones in at that time, it suggests the pool was no longer being used," he explained.
Additionally, a terracotta wine jug found in one of the pools could provide further insight. "The jug could have been used in a religious ceremony, backing up the theory that the pool was a sacred site, or it could have been tossed into the pool as rubbish after it fell out of use. We don't know," Santi added.
So, what do you think? Do these pools hold religious significance, or were they used for something else entirely? The mystery of the Roman pools continues to baffle historians, leaving us with more questions than answers. What's your take on this intriguing discovery?
