Restoration work at the Georgian Bath Assembly Rooms has uncovered a network of Roman ditches, providing a glimpse into the lives of Roman suburbanites in the city. The ditches contained various artefacts, including pottery, coins, glassware, animal bones, roof tiles, and a fragment of a military helmet.
Experts from Wessex Archaeology, including Marek Lewcun, suggest these finds expand the known extent of Roman occupation in Bath. Lewcun indicated the discoveries suggest the residents of this area were likely ordinary people, possibly running small shops, similar to those found in modern suburbs.
Among the discoveries was a limestone tessera, which may have been part of a mosaic floor, and a slot for a beam, indicating the presence of a Roman building. The discovery of a military helmet fragment is seen as further evidence of military personnel's involvement in the settlement's construction.
The building's 18th-century builders did not create deep foundations, which helped preserve the Roman ditches for 21st-century archaeologists. Tatjana LeBoff, National Trust project curator, described the Roman discoveries as significant.