로마 목욕탕(Roman Baths)(4). 바스(Bath)

로마 목욕탕(Roman Baths)(4). 바스(Bath). 영국(England)

 

 

 

Doorway from Temple Courtyard

 

The Spring Today

The Roman reservoir survives intact below the present water level. The two arches opposite belong to the 2nd century Spring building.

 

In the 12th century the Kings Bath was built within the Roman ruins.

 

In the 17th century the statue of Bladud, mythical founder of Bath, and the balustrade were added. The seat opposite known as the Master of the Baths chair was donated by Anastasis Grey in 1732.

 

In the 18th century the Pump Room that is above you was built. The steps, or "slips" outside these windows allowed bathers into the water from passages beneath the Pump Room.

 

The ledge around the Spring is all that remains of the King's Bath floor. The orange stain marks the former water level. In 1979 the floor was removed and the water lowered to the Roman level.

 

Brooch

Late Roman brooch thought to be from Ireland.

 

 

 

 

 

The Sacred Spring Overflow

Here surplus water from the Spring pours into Roman drain and flows on to the river.

 

 

 

Controlling the Water

In the 1st century AD Roman engineers built a stone-walled reservoir around the Sacred Spring to supply hot water to the baths.

 

The overflow to your left was built into the east wall of the reservoir. From here water pours into the main drain and flows beneath your feet ot the river Avon.

 

 

Lifting stone for the Baths

The Romans used hemp ropes and wooden pulleys to make it easier to lift heavy blocks of stone. The Great Bath was 20 metres high and many block weighed more than 100 kilograms.

Pull these two ropes and compare the effort required. The first rope runs through a single pulley. It doesn't make lifting the weight easier; it just changes the direction of your pull.

 

The second rope uses three pulleys to lift the weight. Looping the rope through extra pulleys makes the weight seem lighter, but you have to pull the rope further to lift the weight to the same height.

 

Roman building stone

This Bath stone block weighs 118 kilograms. It has a hole for the lewis bolt. Using a pulley, it can be lifted with a hemp rope only on centimetre thick. All the building stone used in the baths and temple comes from local quarries.

 

The Lewis

The lewis is a bolt used by Roman masons to secure ropes to heavy stone blocks before hoisting them into place. Many building stones from the baths have a hole especially for the lewis.

 

The lewis is made of three iron parts that fit together inside a shaped hole cut into the top of the stone. once the stone is lowered into its correct position the lewis is removed.

 

The lewis is assembled in three steps - have a go!

 

 

 

Re-roofing the Baths 2nd century AD

 

Using Lead

Lead was used extensively in the baths. It was mined by slaves on the Mendip Hills fifteen miles away, brought here as ingots called 'pigs', cast into sheets and cut and formed into pipes. Lead workers threw two ingots into the Sacred Spring for the Goddess and left behind working waste in the West Baths. Several baths and the Sacred Spring reservoir were lined with lead.

 

 

 

 

A pig of lead found half a mile from the baths. The letters read Imp Hadriani Aug meaning 'property of the Emperor Hadrian Augustus'

 

A section of pipe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A length of pipe with stamped maker's initials

 

Pipe joints

 

Dribbles - waste from casting lead found in the West Baths

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A piece of pipe

 

A water channel lining

 

A large box pipe from a conduit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two ingots thrown as offerings into the Sacred Spring

 

 

 

Sulinus

To the right is a stone base for a statue. It was dedicated by Sulinus, a sculptor, and found in the Temple Courtyard.

 

Sulinus' name is a local one and a sculptor of the same name dedicated an altar 35 miles away at Corinium, modern Cirencester. Perhaps he had a workshop there, as well as here at Aquae Sulis, and took on commissions over a wide area.

 

 

Sculptors

Skilled sculptors like Sulinus could work with many different kinds of stone and their tools were similar to those used today.

 

Three stages in the preparation of a Bath stone roof finial are shown here. The original is to the right and heavily weathered, probably resulting from its exposed position on the roof of the Great Bath.

 

 

 

 

The Roman Drain

 

Sluice Gates

Bath-house staff could empty and refill the baths using these bronze sluice gates. The larger frame was found in its original position a few metres along the channel behind this showcase.

 

 

The Sacred Spring Overflow

Here surplus water from the Spiring pours into a Roman drain and flows on to the river.

 

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