Product Description

The finding, in 1727, of the gilded bronze head of the Roman goddess Minerva during the construction of the famous Stall Street led to the discovery of the Roman temple and of the baths. Since then archaeologists have discovered more and more about the Roman city of Aquae Sulis. In this new edition of a work first published almost thirty years ago, Professor Cunliffe brings the story right up to date. He deals in detail with the temple and its precinct and with the 'curse tablets' which have been deciphered to reveal the thoughts of Roman visitors. He then explains just how the bathing establishment was organized and explores the relationship between the spa and the town. We learn what life was like for the local inhabitants as well as for the visitors. Finally, he charts the process of decline and decay during the 300 years after the Roman period.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #219735 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From the Back Cover
Barry Cunliffe, the great modern excavator of Bath, brings the Roman spa centre to life.

The finding in 1727, of the gilded bronze head of the Roman goddess Minerva during the construction of the famour Stall Street led to the discovery of the Roman temple and of the baths. Since then archaeologists have discovered more and more about the Roman city of Aquae Sulis.

In this new edition of a work first published almost thirty years ago, Professor Cunliffe brings the story right up to date. He deals in detail with the temple and its precinct and with the 'curse tablets' which have been deciphered to reveal the thoughts of Roman visitors. He then explains just how the bathing establishment was organized and explores the relationship between the spa and the town. We learn what life was like for the local inhabitants as well as for the visitors. Finally he charts the process of decline and decay during the 300 years after the Roman period.

Professor Barry Cunliffe became director of the Bath Excavation Committee when it formed in 1963. Since then he has maintained a constant involvement in the city and its archaeology. Currently he is a Director of the Bath Archaeological Trust.

About the Author
Professor Barry Cunliffe became director of the Bath Excavation Committee when it formed in 1963. Since then he has maintained a constant involvement in the city and its archaeology. Currently he is a Director of the Bath Archaeological Trust.

Customer Reviews

Cunliffe's classic text updated for the new Millenium
This book is an absorbing and pleasurable text that invites the reader to explore what is known of Aquae Sulis in an informative manner free from the stuffiness that often accompanies works of this type. This should not be unexpected - as Cunliffe's fourth edition of this book one might expect him to have polished the text considerably since its first publication in 1971!

A glance at the table of contents might suggest a disjointed organisation of the text. He begins by discussing the geography of Roman Bath and its environs, and then the antiquarian interest in the past. Following this come the studies of Bath's two celebrated showpieces - the temple and the bath complex - in four chapters: a narrative of the discovery of the temple, then an archaeological study; and an identical treatment for the bath complex. However, far from being distracting and disjointed I found it an engaging approach to learning about not only the archaeology of Bath's principal survivals but the history of their exploration and rediscovery. It is a layout I find myself praising, although perhaps such a method would be unsuitable and unwieldy for anywhere other than Bath...

Cunliffe continues with a chapter asking (but perhaps failing to answer) whether Aquae Sulis was a spa or a town, and concludes with chapters discussing the people of Roman Bath (known from epigraphy, curse-tablets, and other remains) and a summary of the demise of the town into the Saxon period. This latter is necessarily brief due to the paucity of information, but is all the more thorough as a consequence.

Cunliffe provides what can best be described as a narrative bibliography which I found to be less easy for the student or researcher to access. Bear in mind, however, that Cunliffe is perhaps the leading authority on the Roman archaeology of Bath and his bibliography largely predates his own work.

I felt Cunliffe could have speculated a little more about the evidence - for me, it would seem there is much more of the bath complex waiting to be found, for example. Further educated (but not extensive) speculation on points such as this would have been welcome. I was also a little disappointed in his discussion about whether Aquae Sulis was a spa or a town. This is perhaps the most interesting topic about Bath for those interested in Romano-British urbanism, and I felt that Cunliffe rather sat on the fence. True, the evidence is either ambiguous or scanty, but rare were the comparisons to other known sites. Furthermore I know of at least one article dedicated to this very topic which was not included in the bibliography. Controversy fuels debate, so perhaps Cunliffe could afford to be a little more partisan here.

But, all in all, this is a sterling work and a good read. I thoroughly recommend it - Cunliffe brings Roman Bath back to life with romantic reflections, an occasional flash of witty understatement, and an enthusiasm clearly undiminished in thirty years.

Roman Bath Discovered
I found this excellent book to be an absolute essential in answering all the questions which a visit to the Roman Baths raises. The book is exceedingly well written and illustrated putting into context all the various areas of this archaeological gem. Having visited the Roman Baths twice, I now intend to make a further visit armed with the extensive knowledge which I have gained from reading Professor Barry Cunliffe's riveting book. It succeeds in bringing to life the incredible facts of this World Heritage site. This is not a book which is of interest only to academics - it is written by an Archaeologist with hands on experience in a manner and with great detail which enables those interested to follow the history of the site from its inception through to the present day.
Mike Goodman - Northamptonshire