Excavations at the Kurplatz square in Baden (Switzerland) gave archaeologists a surprise – the ruins of ancient Roman baths, sacred buildings and altars. Once upon a time there was a resort town Aquae Helveticae, founded in the I century ad, a new name was given to it already in the middle ages. The settlement originated near the hot mineral springs of the Limmat river, which are the warmest in Switzerland.
Places of worship near thermal springs are not uncommon in Ancient Rome. For example, in Italy and Germany, ritual actions were closely associated with the use of water for medicinal purposes. Finds in Baden indicate that the altars contained what was presented to the gods as a sacrifice. Inscriptions have been found among the ruins that may shed light on who founded this place. Earlier, the square was excavated baths of St. Verena, used until the 1840s. Over the next few weeks, archaeologists hope to unearth a canal leading to the baths.
Photo © thehistoryblog.com
Photo © thehistoryblog.com
Photo © thehistoryblog.com
Photo © thehistoryblog.com