Ancient Roman baths discovered in Georgia

Georgian and Polish archaeologists have made an amazing discovery in Georgia’s western town Gonio, south of Batumi.

The experts uncovered an ancient bath complex dating back to the 1st century AD in the Roman fortress of the Gonio-Apsaros Museum-Reserve. The baths were built and used by Roman soldiers.

The archaeologists were surprised by two things. First, the technology, materials and designs (which also contained mosaic floors) used to create the newly discovered baths were different from the way other Roman baths for soldiers had been built.

"In general, thermal baths built for the military were not luxurious. That is why we were surprised by the discovery of mosaics ornamenting the floor. We also unveiled a large part of a cool water pool, a so-called frigidarium,” said Dr Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski, the Polish archaeologist who led the excavation in an interview with a Polish science magazine.

The second thing that interested them was the early age of the baths, as all other Roman structures discovered in Georgia were dated no less than one century later.

Excavations in Gonio are being completed by a team from the Institute of Archaeology and the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, together with archaeologists from the Gonio-Apsaros Museum-Reserve and The Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Adjara.

"We plan to uncover the whole area of baths. The remains of the baths will be conserved and covered with a roof. It will become a tourist attraction near Batumi,” Dr Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski said.