1,600-year-old indoor pool unearthed at ancient Roman ruins in Albania, photos show

Aspen Pflughoeft
·2 min read
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Archaeologists in Durrës, Albania, are familiar with unique Roman ruins. Their city is known for its ancient Roman amphitheater after all.

But when they uncovered a 1,600-year-old indoor pool, the structure was a first-of-its-kind find even for them.

Archaeologists were excavating a site in Durrës ahead of the construction of a school when they uncovered an elite ancient Roman neighborhood, Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage said in a May 9 Facebook post.

Among the ruins of an ancient Roman villa were traces of an indoor pool decorated with well-preserved mosaics, the institute said. Photos show the partially excavated rectangular pool.

An archaeologist excavates a 1,600-year-old indoor pool at an ancient Roman villa in Durrës. Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage
An archaeologist excavates a 1,600-year-old indoor pool at an ancient Roman villa in Durrës. Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage

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Archaeologists described the pool as unique and the first of its kind to be found in Albania.

Nearby, excavations uncovered two shallow bathtubs with waterproof mortar coverings, the institute said. A photo shows the ancient tubs.

The two bathtubs found in the ancient Roman villa. Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage
The two bathtubs found in the ancient Roman villa. Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage

The ancient Roman ruins were at least 1,600 years old, dating between 1 and 400 A.D., archaeologists said.

At another section of the site, excavations unearthed a large brick floor and several walls that might be ruins of a two-story ancient Roman bathhouse, the institute said. Other fragments of walls, ceilings and tile mosaics were also uncovered.

A close-up photo shows the mosaic pattern of the 1,600-year-old indoor pool. Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage
A close-up photo shows the mosaic pattern of the 1,600-year-old indoor pool. Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage

Excavations at the construction site are ongoing.

Durrës is a coastal city along the Adriatic Sea and a roughly 25-mile drive west of Tirana, the capital of Albania.

Google Translate was used to translate the Facebook post from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage.

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