Pompeii discovery: New 'once in a lifetime' discovery made in private bathhouse - what happened to Pompeii, when did it happen, did anyone survive

In a spectacular find, a sumptuous private bathhouse had remained buried under volcanic debris for 2,000 years. The discovery includes a suite of hot, warm and cold rooms adorned with exquisite artwork, making it potentially the largest private bathhouse ever discovered in Pompeii.

The discovery includes a suite of hot, warm and cold rooms adorned with exquisite artwork, making it potentially the largest private bathhouse ever discovered in Pompeii. The bathhouse, believed to belong to influential Pompeii politician Aulus Rustius Verus, represents the pinnacle of Roman luxury.

Dr Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, said: "It's these spaces that really are part of the 'Pompeii effect' - it's almost as if the people had only left a minute ago. There are just a few houses that have a private bath complex, so it was something really for the wealthiest of the wealthy”.

The most impressive feature is the frigidarium, or cold room, which houses a massive plunge pool capable of accommodating 20-30 people. The room is surrounded by striking red columns and decorated with frescoes depicting athletes.

Zuchtriegel added: "In the hot summers, you could sit with your feet in the water, chatting with your friends, maybe enjoying a cup of wine." Visitors to the bathhouse would begin their journey in a changing room featuring vibrant red walls and a mosaic floor inlaid with marble from across the Roman Empire.

The hot room came next, offering a sauna-like experience with its suspended floor allowing hot air to circulate beneath and through cavity walls. The warm room followed, decorated with bright paintings, where bathers would have oil applied and scraped off with a curved tool called a strigil. The final stop was the cold room, where guests could cool off in the grand plunge pool amidst the athletic-themed frescoes and red columns.

The excavation also revealed a tragic scene, with two skeletons discovered in a cramped, sparsely decorated room. The remains belonged to a woman aged between 35 and 50, found curled in a foetal position on a bed, and a younger man in his teens or early 20s who was crushed by a collapsing wall.

"The woman was still alive while he was dying - imagine the trauma - and then this room filled with the rest of the pyroclastic flow, and that's how she died," explains Dr Sophie Hay, an archaeologist at Pompeii. The woman's bones and teeth were in better condition, indicating she was likely of higher social standing.

The woman's final moments were captured in the precious items she clutched: gleaming gold and silver coins alongside exquisite jewellery. These treasured possessions, now kept in Pompeii's vault, include delicate gold and natural pearl earrings, necklace pendants, and intricately etched semi-precious stones.

The young man was found holding only keys. The items were discovered alongside an assortment of objects on a marble table top in the room - including glassware, bronze jugs and pottery - perhaps gathered as the pair sought refuge from the eruption. The excavation is entering its final weeks, though new discoveries continue to emerge from the volcanic ash.

What happened to Pompeii?

The Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE. The city was buried under layers of volcanic ash and pumice, killing many of its residents. Hot avalanches of ash, rock, and gases moved down the volcano's flank, reaching the city on the morning of August 25. These flows asphyxiated those who had not already been killed.

Did anyone survive Pompeii?

Anybody who left immediately, or who was out of town on business, survived. Archaeologists have found evidence of over 200 survivors in cities near Pompeii. Survivors settled in nearby communities, such as Neapolis (modern-day Naples), Cumae, and Puteoli.