Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Roman Artifacts Found Under Jane Austen's Bath Haunt

Renovations at Bath's Assembly Rooms, a place Jane Austen frequented, have uncovered ancient Roman artifacts, including coins, pottery, and a helmet fragment.

Archaeologists excavating beneath the Assembly Rooms, a Georgian building known for its social events and Austen's visits, discovered ancient ditches and Roman items.

These finds offer insights into the lives of people in Roman Britain, nearly 2,000 years ago, when Bath was the Roman settlement of Aquae Sulis.

The Assembly Rooms, appearing in Austen's novels 'Persuasion' and 'Northanger Abbey,' served as a backdrop for social navigation.

Georgian artifacts, like wig curlers and tobacco pipes, were also found, alongside the Roman discoveries.

A Roman helmet fragment suggests military involvement in building the Roman city and its roads. The site may have been an ancient suburb.

The Assembly Rooms, closed since 2025 for over $25 million in renovations, will reopen in 2027.

The excavations provide a rare view into the area's deep history, revealing layers of the past hidden beneath the city.

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