BATHING WITH THE ROMANS

Water tank

The open tank adjacent to the external south wall was elevated on a stone and brick-built base, so once it was filled, water flowed through pipes to the basins and water-heating vessels. The tank could hold about 430 litres of water, and was filled by servants who climbed to it over a flight of seven steps. In the large bath at Kom al-Dikka in Alexandria water came from an enormous elevated cistern with elaborately engineered water-wheels operated by oxen. In Rome and many other places, aqueducts supplied baths with water.