Emily Chan
At an ancient Roman villa, the remains of an indoor swimming pool were discovered during excavations ahead of the construction of a new school at a site in Durrës, which is a city located on the coast of Albania in the Balkans region of southeastern Europe.
Durrës was founded in the 7th century B.C. by ancient Greek colonists. In the 3rd century B.C., it came under Roman rule and grew into a major port.
The current excavation project in Durrës is focused on a residential area that used to be home to ancient upper-class citizens. The indoor pool is the first and only find of its kind from Albania.
When archaeologists dug up the remains, they were ecstatic to come across a large, rectangular swimming pool. They observed that the walls of the pool were adorned with colorful frescoes.
On the floor, there was a remarkably preserved mosaic with motifs in geometric shapes. The mosaic tiles were made from stone, glass, marble, and ceramics.
These types of mosaics usually turn up in Italy, in places like Ostia and Pompeii. It is rare for them to be discovered so far east. The presence of the mosaic in Durrës indicates that the coastal city must have had strong ties with its neighbors out west.
Additionally, a structure was unearthed near the pool. It contained two shallow bathtubs covered in layers of mortar to make them waterproof.
Furthermore, a large brick floor was found in the northern section of the villa. Archaeologists believe that it could’ve been part of the bathhouse.
In the western part of the site, there were fragments of decorations on the ceiling and walls of the villa. The decorations featured floral and anthropomorphic motifs. These discoveries hint at the wealth of the people who once frequented the area long ago.
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