Roman Bath discovered

by Barry Cunliffe

The finding in 1727 of the gilded bronze head of the Roman goddess Minerva led to the discovery of the Roman temple and of the baths. Since then archaeologists have discovered more and more about the Roman city of Aquae Sulis. In this new edition of a work first published almost 30 years ago, Professor Barry Cunliffe brings the story right up to date. He deals in detail with the temple and its precinct and with the "curse tablets" which have been deciphered to reveal the thoughts of Roman visitors. He then explains just how the bathing establishment was organized and explores the relationship between the spa and the town. We learn what life was like for the local inhabitants as well as for the visitors, and he charts the process of decline and decay during the 300 years after the Roman period.

Genres: History

123 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Sir Barrington Windsor Cunliffe taught archaeology in the Universities of Bristol and Southampton and was Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford from 1972 to 2008, thereafter becoming Emeritus Professor. He has excavated widely in Britain (Fishbourne, Bath, Danebury, Hengistbury Head, Brading) and in the Channel Islands, Brittany, and Spain, and has been President of the Council for British Archaeology and of the Society of Antiquaries, Governor of the Museum of London, and a Trustee of the British Museum. He is currently a Commissioner of English Heritage.