The Roman Baths, a view over 2000 years

by Barry Cunliffe

The official souvenir guide to the Roman Baths in Bath, England. The Roman Baths, A view Over 2000 Years provides 47 pages of detailed history and color illustrations of the history, excavations, preservation of the Baths. Published in England by the Bath Archaeological Trust, 1993.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Sir Barrington Windsor Cunliffe taught archaeology in the Universities of Bristol and Southampton and was Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford from 1972 to 2008, thereafter becoming Emeritus Professor. He has excavated widely in Britain (Fishbourne, Bath, Danebury, Hengistbury Head, Brading) and in the Channel Islands, Brittany, and Spain, and has been President of the Council for British Archaeology and of the Society of Antiquaries, Governor of the Museum of London, and a Trustee of the British Museum. He is currently a Commissioner of English Heritage.

Reviews

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just happened to come across The Roman Baths at Bath: Authorised Guide Book by Barry Cunliff, Stephen Bird, et al. at a used book sale and I had to pick it up. It's small, but it's packed with a lot of fascinating information. It's just so cool. I'd like to visit some day in the future. I wonder what's other archaeological discoveries have been made since this was written in 1993?

[Timons Esaias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the official guidebook for the hot springs at Bath, when we visited, more than a quarter century ago. I've looked through it before, but this is the first time I've actually read it through. Barry Cunliffe is best known to me as the author of Iron Age Communities in Britain, and is certainly an authority; which is probably why this is a much better product than one usually gets in the basic guidebook.

In less than 50 heavily-illustrated pages, the book covers the geology of the hot springs, the pre-Roman Druidic period, the Roman baths, the Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) baths, and the Georgian and then Victorian and then modern establishments. There's a useful fold-out map in the back that shows how these different elements sit over each other, more or less.

I would have liked more quotes from the Roman-era curses -- inscribed on little pieces of lead -- thrown into the sacred spring; but that's me.

The chief effect this work had on me was making me yearn to go back. Ah, well.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the timeline at the end. Great overview.