![]() ![]() ” This vivid blue pigment was first developed in ancient Egypt over 4,000 years ago by heating sand, copper, and natron, a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Some of them were painted with blue paint, similar to the rare “ Egyptian blue. (Antoine Damsin / INRAP ) Keeping Egyptian Blue Alive: Vivid Blue Unearthed at Roman Megastructureĭuring the Reims excavations, the team of archaeologists discovered painted plasters and heaps of tiles adorned with floral patterns. Įvidence of hypocaust (underfloor heating system) being excavated at the Roman megastructure uncovered in Reims. The temperature would then have been controlled by an intricate system of hot and cold water channels.īetween the galleries of the Roman megastructure, the archaeologists found two rectangular masonry buildings that they think formed part of a backyard, in which a fountain was identified with two pressurized water pipes that fed the water system. Used to warm buildings by circulating hot air underneath the floors, a series of channels or flues were created beneath the Roman megastructure by suspending the floor on small pillars or columns allowing hot air from a furnace or fire to circulate. More than 20 individual rooms are linked by corridors, and many were equipped with chalk flooring and fireplaces.Īccording to a report published in Archaeonews, five of the rooms were once part of a traditional Roman bath, an aspect which became evident after the researchers identified a “hypocaust” system used for underfloor heating. The recently discovered Roman megastructure consists of two portico galleries measuring 18.91 meters (65 ft) in length, forming the arms of a U-shape. (Sylvain Lejeune / INRAP ) Roman Megastructure Reveals Ancient Central Heating SystemĬomprising raw earth walls and painted plaster representing bunches of grapes, the building was discovered only 100 meters (328 ft) from the Porte de Mars, the largest remaining Roman triumphal arch from the third century AD that served as one of four imposing gates in the city walls. Pilettes of the first hypocaust (underfloor heating system) at the Roman megastructure in Reims, France.
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