VOA文化艺术2025--Researchers Uncover a Bathhouse Complex in Ancient Pompeii

Archeological research has uncovered another treasure of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii: a large private bathhouse.

The explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 70 AD buried Pompeii in thick ash, wreckage¹, and lava², or hot liquid rock. Archeologists are continuing to find remains³ of the city under the ground.

The bathhouse was part of a large private house, the scientists said. The bathhouse holds a series of rooms that would have provided hot, warm, or cold conditions. The art and design of the complex, including mosaic⁴ works, also suggest the owner was wealthy.

"We have here perhaps the largest thermal⁵ complex in a private house in Pompeii," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

He explained that Pompeii's powerful and wealthy set up large spaces at their homes to hold major gatherings⁶ for ceremonies and other purposes.

"It was an opportunity to show the wealth in which they lived and also to have a nice thermal treatment," he said.

The baths were unearthed⁷ in the so-called Regio IX, a large central area of Pompeii Park that is still unexplored.

Recently, archeologists working in the same area found a bakery, a laundry and two homes. They also found the bones of three people who died in the volcanic⁸ burst.

Pompeii was not the only city destroyed in the explosion. It also buried the city of Herculaneum.

Zuchtriegel said wealthy citizens of Pompeii often would first take a bath and then attend a banquet, or a big meal. The private thermal complex permitted them to do so together at the home where the banquet was held.

"There is room for about 30 people who could do the whole routine, and that could also be done in public baths. So there is the caldarium, a very warm environment, and also a large tub with cold water," he said.

I'm Caty Weaver⁹.

The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

bathhouse - n. a building equipped for bathing

mosaic -n. the covering of a wall that is made of main small pieces and which shows a picture or design

thermal - adj. of, relating to, or caused by heat

opportunity - n. a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place

bakery - n. a place for baking or selling baked goods

laundry - n. a business where clothes or linens¹⁰ are washed

routine - n. a standard or regular way of doing something

tub -n. a large, round container big enough to clean clothes or to take a bath in

1 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

2 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

5 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

6 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

7 unearthed   

出土的（考古）

参考例句：

• Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

8 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

9 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

10 linens   

n.亚麻布( linen的名词复数 )；家庭日用织品

参考例句：

• All linens and towels are provided. 提供全套日用织品和毛巾。 来自辞典例句
• Linen, Table Linens, Chair Covers, Bed and Bath Linens. Linen. 采购产品亚麻布，亚麻布，椅子套子，床和沭浴亚麻布。 来自互联网