30 semi-precious stones and 35 glass beads were found in a Roman bath.
According to The Guardian, 30 engraved semi-precious stones – known as intaglios – may have fallen from a set of rings worn by bathers around the second and third centuries AD.
“It’s incredible,” archaeologist Frank Gicco, who led the dig, told the Guardian. “It’s anyone’s guess. They just fell into the ring from people using the bathtub. The stones were attached to the rings with vegetable glue and fell out of the ring in a hot, sweaty bathtub.”
Frank Gicco described the intaglios as “very small.” The smallest one is about 5 mm in diameter and the biggest one is about 16 mm in diameter. The craftsmanship involved in carving such small things is amazing.
“You don’t find gems like these at low-level Roman sites,” Giecco added. Because they are not what the poor have.
Jiko also pointed out that they didn’t realize they had lost their precious jewelry until they were dry in the shower and returned home, and then it’s not surprising that they thought the loss was the result of petty theft rather than accidental loss.
During excavations, archaeologists found an amethyst depicting the Roman goddess Venus holding a flower or mirror, as well as a jade fragment depicting a languid satyr lying on a bed of stones, The Guardian reported.
In addition to the traces listed above, archaeologists found 40 women’s hairpins and 35 glass beads during the excavation.