Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an indoor pool at an ancient Roman villa.
The find was made during excavations at a site in Durrës, a Mediterranean port city on the coast of Albania in the Balkans region of southeastern Europe, the country's National Institute of Cultural Heritage said in a statement.
Durrës has a long history stretching back more than 2,600 years. It was founded by ancient Greek colonists in the seventh century B.C. and subsequently came under Roman rule in the third century B.C. and developed into a major settlement in the region.
The ongoing excavations in Durrës are revealing a residential area of the ancient city that archaeologists believe was home to local elites. The Roman indoor pool is the first of its kind to be discovered by archaeological excavations in Albania.
It was here that the remains of the villa with the indoor pool were uncovered. The walls of the pool area were decorated with colorful frescoes, while the floor features a "very well-preserved" mosaic with geometric motifs, according to the Institute of Cultural Heritage. The tiles of the mosaic are made from various materials such as marble, stone, glass and ceramics.
Near the pool, the archaeologists also uncovered a structure consisting of two shallow bathtubs covered in layers of mortar for waterproofing purposes.
In the northern part of the villa excavation site, the archaeologists uncovered a large brick floor that could have been part of a bath facility, as well as the remains of several walls.
The discoveries that the team made in the western part of the site, meanwhile, are of "great" interest, according to the Institute of Cultural Heritage. In this area, archaeologists identified fragments of decorations on the walls and ceilings of the villa, featuring various anthropomorphic and floral motifs.
The findings at the site date the villa to between the first and fourth centuries. Experts believe that the complex was destroyed by a powerful earthquake that struck the region in the fourth century. This natural disaster is attested to in historical sources.
Earlier this year, archaeologists announced the discovery of a remarkable Roman villa complex in Britain where a "huge" number of artifacts have been found, including a set of mysterious lead scrolls. The complex was unearthed at the site of a housing development called Brookside Meadows in the village of Grove, in southeastern England.
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