guy Posted January 17 Report Share Posted January 17 (edited) A recent study involved the mineral deposits found in the communal baths of Pompeii, buried under the lava of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Results indicate that the water in the communal areas was probably not changed regularly. Although not surprising, this reminds us that ancient standards for hygiene were different than modern day. Researchers examined mineral deposits in the city’s communal baths to understand how the water systems functioned prior to the AD 79 eruption. 🧪 What the study suggests Mineral deposits in the pipes and basins indicate gradual accumulation over time, not regular flushing. Chemical signatures of the deposits suggest that fresh water was not regularly circulated through the communal pools. Bathing areas likely reused water for extended periods, particularly in the warm rooms where evaporation increased mineral concentration. It seems that maintenance practices are a bit more relaxed than we first thought, suggesting a more lackadaisical approach to hygiene. https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/01/15/lava-up-new-mineral-study-reveals-buried-dirt-about-bath-time-in-ancient-pompeii Edited January 17 by guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy Posted January 18 Author Report Share Posted January 18 (edited) Here is the academic article on the research. (Pictured below are the carbonate samples from the Republic baths in Pompeii.) https://press.uni-mainz.de/hygienic-conditions-in-pompeiis-early-baths-were-poor/ Edited January 18 by guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidoLaMoto Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 The point of this research is not obvious....We already know from the historical record that they switched from well water to aqueductal water during Augustus' reign. There's going to be a difference in mineral content of ground (well) water from mountain stream (aqueduct) water. The sluggish nature of pumping well water vs the higher flow rate of aqueductal water may cause a difference in total daily "exchanges"of the total volume in the baths, but those probably aren't true exchanges-- it is unlikely they completely emptied the baths and then refilled them completely. They most likely had a continuous flow- one gallon in., one gallon out. ...As hi school chemistry students learn early in the lab-- rinsing glassware works best when you completely drain each dilution. That residual volume of water remains contaminated to some degree....In a continuous flow system, the total volume of water and it's solutes remains constant. The problem they didn't address in the study is that of fecal contamination. Hi mineral content may have been less favorable to bacterial overgrowth. The well water baths may actually have been cleaner from the hygienic point of view than the modernized, higher flow system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caesar novus Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 (edited) This topic reminded me to finally put pool testing strips in my amazon shopping cart for the frequent times I am looking for a small extra item to attain the price threshold for free shipping. Don't have to be a pool owner but a swimming pool visitor. They have strips for regular water as well; I bet hot water taps reach toxic levels when the tank cooks down concentrated sludge. Edited January 18 by caesar novus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidoLaMoto Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 Splashing around in a Roman hot tub was probably still cleaner than sharing a xylospongium at the public toilet. https://www.unrv.com/articles/xylospongium.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.