1836 Antique Print; Ground Plan of the Roman Baths, Bath, Somerset

Description: On offer: an original (i.e. not a later reproduction) scarce antique print "A Ground Plan of the Ancient Roman Bath at Bath.", Somerset. DATE PRINTED: 1836.SIZE: The printed area including titles is approximately 26 x 19.5 cm, 10.25 x 7.75 inches (medium) plus margins with a blank back. ARTIST/CARTOGRAPHER/ENGRAVER: Unknown. PROVENANCE: Published in "The History and Antiquities of Somersetshire; Being a General and Parochial Survey of That Interesting County" by Rev. W. Phelps. Published by J.B. Nichols and Son, London, 1836.TYPE: Antique lithograph printed on paper. VERSO: There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is blank. CONDITION: Good; suitable for framing. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. Virtually all antiquarian maps and prints are subject to some normal aging due to use and time which is not significant unless otherwise stated. I offer a no questions asked return policy. AUTHENTICITY: This is an authentic antique print, published at the date stated above. I do not offer reproductions. It is not a modern copy. The term 'original' when applied to a print means that it was printed at the first or original date of publication; it does not imply that the item is unique. RETURNS POLICY: I offer a no questions returns policy. All I ask is that you pay return shipping and mail back to me in original condition. POSTAGE / SHIPPING COSTS: I only charge postage for the first print ordered. There is no additional postage charge if you order more than one print.BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Archaeological evidence shows that the site of the Roman baths' main spring may have been treated as a shrine by the Britons, and was dedicated to the goddess Sulis, whom the Romans identified with Minerva; the name Sulis continued to be used after the Roman invasion, appearing in the town's Roman name, Aquae Sulis (literally, "the waters of Sulis"). Messages to her scratched onto metal, known as curse tablets, have been recovered from the sacred spring by archaeologists. The tablets were written in Latin, and cursed people whom the writers felt had wronged them. For example, if a citizen had his clothes stolen at the baths, he might write a curse, naming the suspects, on a tablet to be read by the goddess. A temple was constructed in AD 60–70, and a bathing complex was built up over the next 300 years. Engineers drove oak piles into the mud to provide a stable foundation, and surrounded the spring with an irregular stone chamber lined with lead. In the 2nd century, the spring was enclosed within a wooden barrel-vaulted structure that housed the caldarium (hot bath), tepidarium (warm bath), and frigidarium (cold bath). The town was later given defensive walls, probably in the 3rd century. After the failure of Roman authority in the first decade of the 5th century, the baths fell into disrepair and were eventually lost as a result of rising water levels and silting. Please explore my ebay shop for more antique prints. Track Page Views With Auctiva's FREE Counter

Price: 9.99 GBP

Location: Marlow

End Time: 2024-12-20T08:44:43.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.51 GBP