(ORDO NEWS) — Scientists at Wardell Armstrong have discovered 30 semi-precious stones in an ancient Roman bath near Hadrian’s Wall in Carlisle, England.
Archaeologists believe that the stones they found in the bath’s sewer probably fell out of the ring-sets worn by people who bathed here.
As the authors of the find explained, the jewelers used vegetable glue, which, at high temperatures, ceased to hold the stones in the setting.
The smallest stones are about 5 millimeters in diameter, while the largest are about 16 mm.
One of them, an amethyst, is engraved with the Roman goddess Venus holding a flower or a mirror. Another jasper stone is engraved with a lying satyr.
Scientists noted that visitors to the baths could well have thought that their stones were simply stolen.
Theft in the baths was so common that in Roman baths all over England were hung signs with curses dedicated to thieves.
In addition to stones, archaeologists found 40 women’s hairpins and 35 glass beads.
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