Having nothing to envy of the great cities of the Roman Empire, this is how the imposing Aguilar de Campoo appears, thanks to the remains that recently appeared in the Huerta Varona sitevery close to the city of biscuits in the north of the province of Palencia. For several years, the team from the Institute for the Study of Cantabrian Antiquity of Monte Bernorio (Imbeac), led by Jesús Francisco Torres, has been carrying out research there.
This year, this team focused much of their efforts on the pool area, which brought surprising results to the group of researchers, who discovered a structure from the beginning of the High Empire (around the 1st century AD)i.e. 300 years older than the Roman Villa La Olmeda de Pedrosa de la Vega (4th century).
“The swimming pool appeared a few years ago. We had a surprise this year when we dug the water supply and drainage system and discovered that the pool was not in the air but was very well constructed with a waterproof concrete base, notably the formwork and very well preserved. It’s impressive, even though it’s missing the walls where people sat to take a bath,” says Dr. Torres, still amazed by the discovery, according to Ical.
But the most curious thing is that along with this discovery, the research team discovered that the canal system surrounding it is not just a drainage system, but reproduces an artificial stream which was used to make the sound of water running inside the thermal baths building, an open space where a recreational area was located. A finding which suggests that the recipients were Romans belonging to the upper strata of society from this moment on.
“We have parallels in some important cities like Rome or in some properties of very important people in Pompeii and we have indications in other cities of the Roman Empire,” explains the professor. “There are similar places in the British Limes and in some places in France, but the numbers of these populations are so small that it is important to build on this scientific knowledge and this heritage resource,” recognizes Torres.
After 2,000 years, the structure is perfectly preserved, which means it can be perfectly reconstructed. Indeed, the drainage system still works. “He is, as they say colloquially, ready to move in,” jokes the professor, which alludes to the miracle he has survived to this day. In Pompeii everything was covered in lava and here it was used as an orchard and field for many years.
Likewise, the swimming pool retains its entire construction structure, with a water-repellent (waterproof) concrete foundation, as well as the walls of the hot spring and the heating system. “This type of concrete was made by mixing lime with sand and brick fragments. There were three ways to proceed: with pulverized brick, heavily crushed brick, or by mixing everything at once to obtain concrete with exceptional qualities. “It’s waterproof,” says Torres. “This type of concrete was handled by construction specialists In the Roman world, not just anyone managed them. The amount of water-repellent concrete used in the pool, in the hypocaustic zone and in the pipes involves a huge investment, more than one would expect from a small hot spring in a city,” he says. “There had a powerful project, there was money invested in top quality materials. It is perhaps missing the beads that one would expect to find in this type of establishment, but I insist, it’s a rural settlement. “They spent money building things that lasted a long time and worked well and the proof is there, two thousand years later.”
By taking a virtual tour of this structure from two thousand years ago, we can see that the area known as the hypocaustic zone is where it began with a hot bath -currently covered-. First of all, the inhabitants of the region realized a steam bath (near the oven), then a swim in the swimming pool with very hot water and finally swimming in a pool with cold water. A leisure space where the richest inhabitants of the region met. In fact, during the era of High Imperiality, baths were a very important socializing space within this society. “Men make deals, agreements, chat with friends and relax,” says the professor.
Oysters for lunch
Among the remains found in the drains and in the excavated spaces, remains of signed vases and bowls appeared. On the other hand, enormous quantities of a mollusc appear which must remain alive to be transported and which surprises by its appearance in these latitudes: oysters. Yes, yes, oysters. This tells us that the communication between Huerta Varona and the coast was really good. “It’s a pretty big space for a hot spring for a city. This does not mean that it is something exceptional, what changes is our way of seeing it in the rural world of the north, in the Cantabrian Sea since we have always said that the impact of Empire was weak and this completely disproves it. We are talking about communities like those found in Rome, Pompeii, Caesaraugusta, Emerita Augusta… That is, the same amenities that can be enjoyed in cities, in a smaller size, but not in point to say that people I could not enjoy this comfort with a fairly high standard of living”, bluntly declares Jesús Francisco Torres.
Regarding why this site has survived to this day in similar conditions, the professor indicates that it is a rural Roman site on which no other structures were built since the population that lived there moved towards the slope where the castle was located and grew in another direction. “This goes beyond the wealth it can bring to the Palentina mountain, to Aguilar and of course to the province of Palencia, but also to the fact that these types of deposits are unknown. We’ve been very fortunate to go beyond what was initially planned and the good thing is that we’re just getting started. We are a modest excavation, but we must see the enormous extent of this site and what we still have to discover. The future of Huerta Varona could be impressive,” says the doctor, although, as with everything, there are always negative points.
“The site became known thanks to the fact that many materials appeared on the farm and were recovered by amateur detectorists, which still has a very negative impact on the heritage because Essential documents to know certain aspects were stolen. Above all, they stole metal (jewelry, coins, metal parts…) which will never be recovered,” complains Jesús Francisco Torres.
A discovery that will continue to be studied in the years to come and which will make Palencia a much larger province in terms of research on the ancient Roman Empire.
