Intact Iron Bars Emerge at Recently Excavated Ancient Roman Bath Complex in Spain

At an ancient Roman bath complex in Mérida, Spain, archaeologists have uncovered a set of “practically intact” iron bars, Newsweek reported on Friday. It is the second notable find related to a Roman bath complex to emerge in recent months, after a similar structure was discovered in Cologne.

The city of Mérida is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site with the ruins of the ancient Roman colony Augusta Emerita. The colony began when Roman emperor Augustus was conquering the Extremadura region in 25 BCE.

The remains include a large bridge over the Guadiana River, an amphitheater, a theater, a circus, and a water supply system.

The Consortium of the Monumental City of Mérida has been overseeing the excavation of the public bath complex over the last few months, nearby the theater and amphitheater.

Within the complex, archaeologists uncovered a set of crisscrossing iron bars that would have covered a window in the bath’s changing room. They are slated to be cleaned and undergo restoration before being publicly displayed.

An iron grill was previously found in the kitchen of the Casa del Anfiteatro residence in the 1960s.