30 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A 1,600-year-old indoor pool, the first of its kind, discovered in Albania

In the Albanian port city of Durrës, archaeologists have uncovered a 1600-year-old Roman indoor pool, the first of its kind.

Durrës is Albania’s oldest economic and historic center, having emerged as a permanent gate between the east and the west. The city was known as Epidamnus by the Illyrians in the seventh and sixth centuries BC. The Greeks colonized the city in 672 BC and called it “Dyrrhachium,” or “The city between the two hills.”

The Romans took over the city around 230 BC. The city was known to the Roman historian Catullus as “Dyrrhachium Adria e Taberna,” or “The Adriatic Tavern.” Cicero, who took refuge in Durrës circa 57 BC, described the city as “admirable,” mainly because of his colorful and active lifestyle.

The archaeologists of the city of Durres are familiar with Roman remains, but the latest discovery surprised even them.

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

Prior to a school being built, archaeologists were excavating a site in Durrës when they discovered an aristocratic ancient Roman neighborhood, according to a May 9 Facebook post from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



The National Institute of Cultural Heritage said that the archaeological excavations, which cover an area of 1,200 m2, at this stage, have provided a unique panorama of the urban organization of the area, which is thought to have been a part of the city.

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

Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage
Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage

“From the excavations, the remains of an indoor swimming pool of a Roman period residence were discovered, the first of its kind discovered in Albania. It is decorated on its entire surface with colorful frescoes of a high artistic level.” The Institute underlined that the most important feature of the building is that it has a very well-preserved mosaic floor with geometric motifs made of marble, stone, glass, and ceramic tiles.

Archaeologists estimated that the Roman ruins were between 1 and 400 A.D. old, and at least 1,600 years old.

According to the institute, excavations at a different part of the site revealed several walls and a sizable brick floor that may be the remnants of a two-story ancient Roman bathhouse. Other fragments of walls, ceilings, and tile mosaics were also uncovered.

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

Excavations at the construction site are ongoing.

The Facebook post from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage was translated using Google Translate.

Cover Photo from Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage

Related Articles

An Avar Warrior Buried with Lamellar Armor and Equipment Discovered in Hungary

3 February 2024

3 February 2024

Archaeologists of the Déri Museum in Debrecen (eastern Hungary) found the tomb of a fully armed and with a complete...

A beautiful Medieval key discovered in Claverham village, UK

11 October 2023

11 October 2023

Earlier this year the Kemble fieldwork team from Cotswold Archaeology undertook a small excavation for Newland Homes on the edge...

4,900-year-old Copper Age Fortress with a Violent Past and Odd Roman Burial Found in Spain

13 February 2025

13 February 2025

A remarkable 4,900-year-old Copper Age fortress, featuring a pentagon shape, three concentric walls, 25 bastions, and three ditches, has been...

Game Bone Stones from a Roman Military Strategy Game Found in Hadrianopolis Ancient City, Türkiye

10 January 2025

10 January 2025

During the excavations in Hadrianopolis Ancient City in Eskipazar district of Karabük, 2 bone game stones belonging to the military...

New study says earliest recorded kiss occurred 4500 years ago in Mesopotamia

18 May 2023

18 May 2023

The University of Copenhagen according to researchers, humanity’s earliest recorded kiss occurred around 4,500 years ago in the ancient Middle...

2,600-Year-Old Scythian Noble Warrior’s Tomb Unearthed in Siberia: Rare Battle Axe, Bronze Mirror, and More

24 August 2025

24 August 2025

Burial includes ornate belt, ram-headed buckle, bronze mirror, and horse harness elements, revealing the elite status of the Scythian Noble...

Germany: 700-year-old Causeway Found Under Central Berlin Street

19 February 2022

19 February 2022

Archaeologists from the Landesdenkmalamt Berlin (LDA) made a sensational find during their excavation at Molkenmarkt: about 2.50 m below Stralauer...

73 intact Wari mummy bundles and Carved Masks Placed On False Heads Discovered In Peru

1 December 2023

1 December 2023

At Pachacámac, an archaeological site southeast of Lima in Peru, archaeologists unearthed bundles of 73 intact mummy bundles, some containing...

Archaeologists Reveal First Settlement of Cimmerians in Anatolia

23 June 2023

23 June 2023

Continuing excavations in Türkiye’s central Kırıkkale province have revealed new findings indicating that Büklükale village was the first settlement of...

Scientists Uncover 22,000-Year-Old Evidence of Prehistoric Transport

9 March 2025

9 March 2025

In a remarkable glimpse into the ingenuity of our early ancestors, recent research reveals that 22,000 years ago, humans may...

Palau’s green pyramids: could be a geo-archaeological project

19 February 2022

19 February 2022

Archaeologists from Kiel University’s Institute for Ecosystem Research (CAU) and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) studied the so-called “Pyramids of...

Only Those on the Righteous Path May Enter Here”: New Mosaics Unearthed in Antalya’s Olympos

19 June 2025

19 June 2025

A newly discovered mosaic inscription at the entrance of a church and elaborately decorated floor mosaics have come to light...

Archaeologists Unearth Prehistoric Fishing Evidence on the Makran Coast of Iran

20 May 2025

20 May 2025

The Makran coast, a historically rich coastal stretch along the Sea of Oman, has once again drawn archaeological attention with...

Scientists have developed a new tool that enables them to identify prehistoric and historic individuals’ relatives up to the sixth-degree

24 December 2023

24 December 2023

A new method of genetic analysis makes it possible to determine family relationships of prehistoric and historical individuals up to...

Ceremonial meals may have been served in the 4500-year-old structure unearthed in the Yumuktepe Höyük in Southern Turkey

3 November 2021

3 November 2021

A 4,500-year-old structure containing a jar, many pots, and food fossils has been unearthed at the Yumuktepe Höyük (mound) in...