Hypocaustum

Something we learned by visiting the Roman Bath in Bath and Chedworth Roman Villa was hypocaust or hypocaustum in Latin. Hypocaust was a system used to heat a rich family’s home. The floor was built over pillars and hot air was forced into the space under the floor. The heat air was made in the furnace outside the villa. The fire required constant attention but they had people for that. The floors were also cover with mosaics. The top picture is a room with only the pillars remaining. Picture two is the remains of the furnance. The square hole in the center of the picture is where the hot air entered the home. The third picture shows a completed floor. The fourth picture shows a completed floor to the left but in the top right you can see the channels under the floor where the hot air flowed. All these pictures were from Chedworth Roman Villa.