Late Roman Baths

Parion is situated in the village of Kemer, and is connected to the town of Balıklı Çeşme, in the Biga District of Çanakkale. The city was established around a stream that flows into the sea and has a natural harbor, as have other colonial cities established in the region during the 7th and 8th centuries BC. Excavations were carried out from 2008 until now, in a building with rooms of different sizes, walls, water channels, mosaic pieces, glass products, ceramic pieces from different periods, and many bronze coins in poor condition. In addition, excavations conducted on the northern side of the structure showed the remains of a cylindrical ground support with pilae, which belong to a 'hypocaust system'. This article discusses the ways in which caldarium and tepidarium rooms from Early Roman to Byzantine period bathhouses and villas were provided in that period of time with a hypocaust wall heating system. One of the new construction methods is the use of 'spacer tubes': small hollow terracotta tubes which were used during a long time because they were cheaper. In Parion, one of the most important cities of Troas Region in the Roman period, the excavated small building showed three building phases. The spacer tubes have revealed new information of their building function. They are very important as there are only few examples of this building method in the Troas region. Examples of their types and features are described in a catalogue.

The archaeological site “Roman baths” is located in downtown Čačak, 200 meters southwest of the National Museum of Čačak. Remains of bigger edifice’s foundation from Roman period were discovered in 1970 when the foundations for a residential - commercial building were dug. In the same year a systematic archaeological excavation was taken, after which the object was preserved (1970-1972). According to the archaeological research, above the remains of Roman building in the 12th century Christian necropolis was formed and the area was used since the middle Ages, through the Turkish times to the present day, which caused the devastation of older archaeological layers and findings.
The building that was discovered in 1970  represents the late Roman bath (balneum), built most likely at the end of 3rd or in the early 4th century, which was in use until the year AD 378 and the invasion of the Western Goths. Two phases are evident in the construction of the building. The building was built on an elevated river plateau sloping to the southeast, 600 m from the Morava river bed towards the south. Rectangular in shape, longitudinally oriented east-west and its eastern part turns 5 degrees to the north. The maximum length of the building along the east-west axis is 22.60 m, along the north-south axis 18.45 m, with total area of 340 square meters. Building has had at least eight rooms of various sizes and purposes, organized into three series (northern, central and south). In the construction of the baths parts of the epigraphical limestone monuments, probably gravestones, from the 2nd or 3rd century were secondarily used. Hypocaust piers, vaulting over the canals, door frames and floors were built of brick. In order to isolate from the moisture, the walls are coated with hydrostatic mortar. In the rubble of the building the remains of fresco decoration (traces of blue, red and ocher colours) were registered.
Portable findings from the late Roman baths in Čačak are quite humble. These are the findings of pottery and glass vessels, a small number of glass jewellery and metal objects (tools, calk, bronze sheaths) and coins.
Considering that the archaeological research found only baths, it is difficult to assume whether it represented part of a rural estate (villa rustica) or a settlement (vicus). It is less likely that it was a part of a military fortification or a fortified road station.

During the 2012 field campaign at Miletus a series of new late antique and mediaeval monuments were investigated: a bathhouse at the eastern harbour, an insula south of the
West Market, the Byzantine city walls, their Serapeion Gate, architectural sculpture from the middle Byzantine period, the lates Byzantine settlement on the Theatre Hill, and the chapel of Hagia Paraskevi. The monuments are first discussed one by one and then evaluated in relation to the settlement history of Miletus. The early Byzantine city retained – and indeed
conserved – ancient buildings, sculptures and streets. Even churches were designed in an ancient style and, when the Byzantine city walls were built not before the late sixth century and more likely in the seventh, the temple of Serapis became the focal point of the biggest and most splendid gate. However, in the middle Byzantine period the ancient city centre was abandoned and remained in ruins after it was destroyed by an earthquake. Middle Byzantine prosperity is instead attested in the surrounding countryside with the construction of numerous elaborate churches and a considerable amount of architectural sculpture. Middle Byzantine Miletus was evidently affected by ruralisation; this could explain why the city had to be re-founded under the new name of Palatia and re-built on the previously uninhabited Theatre Hill when, from the later eleventh century onwards, the arrival of the Turks necessitated a return to urban fortifications.

The Southern Baths probably served as relatively simple thermae for a modest residential area. The baths were built at the turn of the second century A.D. (phase I). The main access seems to have been from the west through a vestibule, where coin finds probably attest to the payment of an entrance fee. The bather would then have followed a tour of at least four rooms, starting and ending in a changing room and including warm, hot and cold bathing rooms. Smaller additional rooms may have been used for various medicinal purposes. A first, late antique renovation took place in the later fourth century and appears to have been concerned primarily with strengthening the support system of the vaulting (phase II). A second, early Byzantine renovation around 500 A.D. included a new, higher floor level that responded to annual flooding due to the progressive siltation of the Maeander River (phase III). The Byzantine renovation also led to a new layout, whereby two warm bathing rooms were now closed off from each other and had separate entrances; this resulted in a double bath, probably for the simultaneous but separate bathing of men and women.

Between 2016 and 2019 an international team of over 25 archaeological specialists conducted new research into the Roman public bathhouse of Coriovallum - now known as Heerlen in The Netherlands.  The results of this research project are now published.
This paper presents the reconstructed chronology of the bathhouse and its immediate surroundings. It shows that contrary to earlier thought, the bathhouse complex underwent a number of major and minor modifications throughout a period of more than 400 years.

Ostia ha restituito una notevole quantità di complessi termali. Oltre alle grandi terme pubbliche di età imperiale, forme particolari di termalismo sono attestate anche in epoca tardoantica. Le recenti ricerche condotte dal Progetto Ostia Marina dell’Università di Bologna, attivo nell’ambito del quartiere fuori porta Marina, hanno infatti permesso di definire con precisione la cronologia di minuscoli "balnea" pubblici disposti lungo l’antica via Severiana. Lo studio delle cosiddette Terme dello Scheletro, sorte in epoca teodosiana nell’ambito del Caseggiato delle due scale (IV, IX, 6) e di quelle di Musiciolus (IV, xv, 2), anch’esse ricavate nel corso della seconda metà del IV secolo, ha permesso di delineare alcune caratteristiche di questi complessi: oltre ad una evidente diminuzione delle dimensioni, si assiste anche ad un notevole restringimento delle piscine termali. Il presente contributo intende dunque dirigere l’attenzione su tale fenomeno, ampiamente attestato anche in altri quartieri della città, da collegare al mutato comune senso del pudore e alla diffusione della nuova morale cristiana.

The Slope Bath of Parion where the excavations were begun in 2008 located on the western slope of the hill 300 m east of the acropolis and the theatre, 100 m northeast of the Sedat-Naciye NUROVA Parion Excavation House. During survey works carried out on the slope a vaulted strocture remain of 1 m diameter was observed. The vaulted structure remain was thought to be related to the wall remain or to belong to either an important structure or structure group therefore the desicion for excavating this area was given. The Slope Bath having nine sections revealed during excavations so far, besides sheding light to the social and economical aspects of Parion, does present significant information regarding the architecture of the city. These revealed sections are significant due to their different features. By having no similar examples in Anatolia the laconicum section does give an idea about the bath’s architect. The need of a very hot section in a geography where the climate is warm will be investigated in this work. Other sections revealed during excavations besides the laconicum will be introduced in light of similar examples. Along with the structure’s architecture discovered artifacts will also be introduced with regards to their relation to the structure. Additionally the localization of the bath has been introduced and the effect of the close proximity of the location to the harbour on the desicion making of the bath’s location has been mentioned. Finally by investigating the finds and architectural remains discovered during Excavations preliminary conclusions on the Slope Bath’s construction date and usage phases have been reached.
Keywords:
Parion, Roman bath, hypocaust, coin, laconicum, acropolis

The 2012-2016 excavations at the Roman villa of Katounistra in Loutraki (Corinthia) revealed six further
rooms and confirmed the structure’s absolute symmetry on the W-E axis (as well as the N-S axis). The shallow cavities of the
room with the niches (Room 27) may indicate industrial use; two of the niches were later used as tombs (a funerary amphora
was found inside one of them). Seven rooms of the adjacent bath were also excavated, revealing a marble bathtub, a bathtub
of stone/brick masonry, a third bathtub linked to a water channel, and a three-niche piscina. South of the villa, the north, east,
and west walls of a vast rectangular courtyard that stretches the entire length of the villa were investigated. Along the north
wall were added a central double-aisled staircase, which leads to the villa, with mortar-covered floor, three rooms carved into
the soft bedrock, and a fresco decoration. Traces of similar decoration were also noted on the two other courtyard walls. The
pottery of the 2012-2016 excavations dates to the period from the 1st c. BC to the 6th c. AD, with much of it belonging to the
5th c. AD.

Nuove ricerche condotte dal Dipartimento di Storia, Culture e Civiltà dell'Università di Bologna nell'ambito del « Progetto Ostia Marina » sono attualmente in corso nel quartiere fuori porta Marina dell'antica città costiera di Roma, un settore extraurbano che sta rivelando un notevole potenziale informativo. È stato per ora possibile documentare diversi momenti della vita della città (I-VI sec. d.C.), così come i tempi di abbandono e di decomposizione del tessuto urbano (VII-XVIII sec.). Il fronte mare era caratterizzato dal passaggio della via « consolare » Severiana, già per lungo tratto docu-mentata dagli scavi del Novecento. Nel settore A, isolato IV, ix, dello scavo attualmente in corso è stato rinvenuto un « balneum » pubblico di grandi proporzioni, detto « del Sileno » dalla maschera scolpita su un frammento di fregio dionisiaco rinvenuto nel 2011. L'edificio è stato incisivamente ristrutturato nella seconda metà del IV secolo. Il settore B comprende un grande complesso edilizio (il c.d. Caseggiato lungo via della Marciana, IV, IX) di età adrianea (post 134 d.C., sulla base dei bolli di Serviano III trovati in opera), con varie fasi di vita che si estendono fino al V sec. d.C. Le ricerche si sono concentrate su un grande vano, frazionato in epoca severiana e utilizzato come esercizio commerciale, tra IV e V secolo occupato da una o più officine (ergasteria) probabilmente specializzate in attività metallurgiche. L'eccezionale numero di monete bronzee di piccolo taglio rinvenute sembra sottendere la particolare intensità degli scambi al minuto. Progetto Ostia marina, terme del Sileno, caseggiato lungo la via della Marciana, via Severiana A new and very relevant bulk of informations is coming from the researches currently being carried out by the Department of History, Cultures and Civilizations of the University of Bologna, as part of the « Ostia Marina Project », developing in these years in the neighborhood outside Porta Marina (a gate of the ancient city), a suburban area that is proving to be a significant potential of archaeological data. For now it has been possible to record the different moments of the life of Ostia (Ist-VIth cent. AD), and also the time of abandonment and decomposition of the urban structures (VIIth-XVIIIth century). The sea front was characterized by the via Severiana, already documented by the twentieth-century excavations. In area A, block IV, IX, the excavations have revealed a new public « balneum », which takes now its name from the mask of Silenus carved in a dionysiac frieze fragment discovered in 2011. The building was significantly renovated in the second half of the IV century. The area B includes a large building complex (the so-called « House along the street of Marciana », IV, ix) of Hadrian's age (post 134 AD, according to the stamps of Servianus III found in the masonry) with various stages of life extending up to the V century. The researches focused on a large building, that in the Severan period was divided and used as a shop, and occupied between IV and V century by one or more workshops (ergasteria) specialized perhaps in metallurgical activities. The exceptional discovery of a large number of small bronze coins seems to underlie the particular intensity of the exchanges by retail. Ostia Marina Project, Silenus baths, house along the Marciana's street, Severian road

" Le terme e il mare " nasce da un progetto di ricerca che intende studiare i riflessi della grande epoca termale nel territorio, con particolare riferimento ai paesaggi costieri del Mediterraneo dal II all'VIII sec. d.C. Prodotto della cultura romana, in particolare del processo di romanizzazione del Mediterraneo, in epoca imperiale le terme divennero uno degli elementi essenziali alla definizione della vita civile, un naturale complemento al benessere, moltiplicandosi sia nelle città che negli insediamenti minori. Nella Tarda Antichità il loro uso è diffuso a tutti i livelli della società e risponde ai bisogni delle masse urbane, oltre che a quelli dell'élite aristocratica. Scopo del convegno è l'analisi del rapporto fra impianti termali e aree costiere, con particolare riferimento all'area del Nord Tirreno. Per i poster, invece, l'areale geografico sarà del tutto libero. CALL FOR POSTERS Il colloquio propone una sessione interamente dedicata ai poster, i cui argomenti potranno affrontare in ogni aspetto correlato al tema, e in ogni dimensione geografica. I poster accolti saranno esposti in occasione del convegno e gli autori potranno avere a disposizione uno spazio negli atti per una migliore illustrazione di quanto presentato. Un abstract completo di titolo, autori, istituzioni, dell'ampiezza massima di 150 parole, insieme a un CV, dovrà essere inviato alla segreteria del convegno termemare@gmail.com entro il 20 settembre 2016. Sono particolarmente incoraggiate proposte provenienti da giovani ricercatori.