A Roman Period bath complex has been discovered by an Egyptian team working at Tell Nasser in Port Said – the first such structure to be found in the area. The discovery was made during the site’s first excavation season. Cypriot and Greek pottery found on site suggest there was an earlier settlement prior to the construction of the baths. The complex consisted of both private and public bathing units, with an integrated water supply and drainage system. The private bathing area has a circular red-brick basin, approximately 2.5 metres in diameter, and two oval footbaths. The public area contained two 5m-diameter tholoi (circular chambers) containing stone seating with armrests around a circular foot basin, as well as three rectangular basins, a quarter-circular basin for water-collection and distribution, a floor made of slip-resistant hydraulic mortar, and a drainage outlet connected to the internal drainage network. The integrated hydraulic system includes a main water-supply channel made of red brick and measuring about 6 metres in length, partially covered by a red-brick vaulted roof. There is also evidence of earlier phases of construction, including amphora stamps from Rhodes bearing Greek names, and local and imported pottery dating to the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods. The site appears to have been in use until the 2nd century AD, at which point the complex was repurposed for storage.
