Excavation work beneath Bath Assembly Rooms in the northern section of Bath has yielded a collection of Roman artifacts that provide new insights into suburban life during the Roman occupation of the city. The discoveries include approximately 60 pottery fragments, glass vessels, animal bones, roof tiles, coins, and a limestone tessera potentially from a mosaic floor. The most notable find is a fragment of a military helmet, which archaeologists interpret as evidence of military involvement in establishing the settlement.
The site had previously been relatively unexplored due to the protective conservation status of Bath’s Georgian buildings and streets, which limited construction activity that might reveal archaeological materials. According to Wessex Archaeology expert Marek Lewcun, the findings help fill a gap in understanding the city’s Roman period. The artifacts suggest that ordinary residents of the suburban areas operated small shops and businesses supplying goods like pottery and bread, indicating a population of working people rather than the wealthy elite who likely resided in villas on higher ground.
The archaeological context reveals significant social change during Roman occupation. Residents had adopted Roman construction methods, heating systems, and water management rather than maintaining pre-Roman building practices. The discovery of a slot for a wooden beam confirms that a Roman building once occupied the site. The favorable preservation conditions resulted from the late 18th-century builders of Bath Assembly Rooms using shallow foundations, as the underlying clay was sufficiently strong to support the structure without deep digging.
Bath’s Roman history centers on the elaborate bath complex built around natural hot springs following events in AD60 and 61. Known as Aquae Sulis, the site attracted visitors seeking healing properties and became a significant pilgrimage destination. The broader restoration project at Bath Assembly Rooms, valued at £20m, is addressing damage from bombing in the second world war and will reopen next year with new visitor facilities.
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