6 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archeologists discovered a treasure trove at the bottom of an ancient Roman bathhouse drain near Hadrian’s Wall

Archeologists in Carlisle, England, discovered a treasure trove at the bottom of the drain system of an ancient Roman bathhouse near Hadrian’s Wall.

Approximately 30 intricately carved semiprecious stones were discovered. The stones, known as intaglios, had slipped down the drains of the pools and saunas two millennia ago.

Around 5,000 years ago, the tradition of carving intaglios began in Mesopotamia. They were frequently used to “sign” documents by pressing them into soft clay. Intaglios spread throughout the ancient world over millennia, eventually becoming fashionable items for the wealthy. According to Cicero, a Roman statesman, and author, some Romans wore portraits of their favorite philosophers on their rings.

The stones had fallen out of their ring setting, their glue probably weakened in the steam baths. Losing them would have been painful as they were engraved gems known as intaglios. Although only a few millimeters in diameter, they bear images whose exceptional craftsmanship suggests they would have been expensive items in their time – the late 2nd or 3rd century.

The Great Bath, at Roman baths at Bath, England is a pool with hot, steaming spa water. Photo: David Dixon / CC BY-SA 2.0

A bather lost an amethyst depicting Venus holding either a flower or a mirror. Another lost a reddish-brown jasper with a satyr seated on rocks by a sacred pillar.



📣 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!!



Frank Giecco, an expert on Roman Britain who is leading the excavations at the bathhouse, was amazed by the collection: “It’s incredible,” he said. “It captured everyone’s imagination. They just fell out of the rings of the people using the baths. They were set with plant glue and fell out of the ring settings in the hot and sweaty bathhouse.”

“Some of the intaglios are minuscule, around 5mm; 16mm is the largest intaglio. The craftsmanship to engrave such tiny things is incredible,” Giecco said.

Three of the semi-precious stones discovered by archaeologists near Hadrian’s Wall. Photo: Anna Giecco
Three of the semi-precious stones discovered by archaeologists near Hadrian’s Wall. Photo: Anna Giecco

The drain discoveries also include more than 40 women’s hairpins and 35 glass beads, probably from a necklace.

The bathhouse adjoined the main Roman fort on Hadrian’s Wall, the empire’s northern border, which housed an elite cavalry unit and had ties to the imperial court. Excavations will continue next year.

Cover Photo: A selection of the intaglios is found at the Carlisle Cricket Club site. Photo: Anna Giecco/ Wardell Armstrong

Related Articles

The ancient city of Kastabala will soon have a colonnaded Street

4 September 2021

4 September 2021

The archaeological excavation of the ancient city of Kastabala in Osmaniye Province in southern Turkey continues. Kastabala-Hierapolis is one of...

Ancient Christian Settlement Discovered in Egypt

14 March 2021

14 March 2021

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said on Saturday that a French-Norwegian archaeological team had discovered a new ancient Christian settlement...

A 2,000-Year-Old Shoe Discovered in a German Bog

22 June 2021

22 June 2021

Archaeologists discovered a leather shoe that had been lost in a bog for 2,000 years and believe it may have...

New research, prove that Romans were breeding small bulldogs

11 June 2023

11 June 2023

Researchers have proven that breeding small brachycephalic (shorter-nosed) dogs took place already in ancient Rome. Research on a 2,000 years...

Unique Roman Aristocratic Tomb Discovered in Sillyon Ancient City

19 August 2025

19 August 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique Roman-era tomb during ongoing excavations in Sillyon Ancient City, located in Türkiye’s Antalya’s Serik district....

The Discovery of a Bronze Age Game Board in Azerbaijan Challenges the Origin of One of the World’s Oldest Games

30 August 2024

30 August 2024

A new archaeological study revealed that an ancient board of a game, known as “Hounds and Jackals” or the “Game...

Collectors In The Prehistoric World Recycled Old Stone Tools To Preserve The Memory Of Their Ancestors

16 March 2022

16 March 2022

A first-of-its-kind study at Tel Aviv University asks what drove prehistoric humans to collect and recycle flint tools that had...

Archaeologists discover Europe’s longest prehistoric mound in the Czechia

22 June 2024

22 June 2024

Czech archaeologists in the Hradec Králové area in East Bohemia have discovered what is probably the longest prehistoric mound in...

2,300 Years Old First Complete Ancient Celtic Village and Roman Settlement Discovered in Munich

22 October 2023

22 October 2023

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Celtic village and evidence of a smaller Roman settlement in Munich, Germany. The 2,300-year-old Celtic...

Sidamara, the largest sarcophagus of the Ancient World, got Eros relief 140 years later

1 July 2022

1 July 2022

The Sidamara Sarcophagus, which is considered to be one of the largest sarcophagi of the ancient world and weighs many...

Sensational Find: 900-year-old Picture Stone! Is Depicted Figure the Legendary Bishop Otto of Bamberg?

19 August 2024

19 August 2024

During construction work in Klotzow (Vorpommern-Greifswald district), one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in recent years has...

Hagia Sophia’s Mysterious Underground Tunnels, Vaults, Tombs to Open for Visitors

7 January 2025

7 January 2025

The Turkish Ministry of Culture is carrying out a cleaning program aimed at opening to the public the underground spaces...

Archaeologists discover rare Caanite inscription on ancient ivory comb

12 November 2022

12 November 2022

Israeli archaeologists discovered a rare inscription on an ivory comb that sheds new light on the Canaanite language’s use some...

Archaeologists Reveal a Hair Style They Think Was Fashion 2000 Years Ago

19 February 2021

19 February 2021

The small 5 cm figurine found during excavations at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire surprised with its details. National Trust archaeologists and...

New Study Exposes Origins of Welsh Dragons

7 June 2024

7 June 2024

In a new study conducted by a team from the University of Bristol and published in the Proceedings of the...