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A 2,000-year-old ancient Roman laundromat open to public for first time
Telegraph UK ^ | December 24, 2015 | Alice Philipson

Posted on 01/05/2016 1:47:07 PM PST by SunkenCiv

An ancient dry cleaner's where ancient Romans brought their tunics to be dyed and washed is among six newly restored buildings in Pompeii to be opened to the public...

The opening of the buildings comes after years of mismanagement and bureaucratic squabbling at the historic site Spectacular brightly coloured frescoes and intricate mosaics were revealed across the walls and floors of almost all of the buildings, some of which were severely damaged by bombing during the Second World War.

But the laundry, painted in a deep red and decorated with frescoes of birds and ornamental vases, was the most highly anticipated of the restorations.

In its day, the Fullonica di Stephanus, as it is officially known, was equipped with large baths for rinsing dirty tunics and stone basis for dyeing fabrics. There was a press for ironing and the laundry kept a supply of urine, which was collected in public urinals and then used to get out tough stains.

Next to the laundry, sat Casa del Criptoportico, a former luxury home with a quadrangular garden which has also been restored. It boasts beautiful mosaics depicting pygmies and four thermal baths decorated with stucco.

An enormous covered corridor, known as a cryptoporticus, from which the house derives its name, was built with vast windows to allow light into the next-door sitting room.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: casadelcriptoportico; cryptoporticus; fullonicadistephanus; godsgravesglyphs; pompeii; romanempire
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To: rlmorel

LOL!!


61 posted on 01/05/2016 8:31:04 PM PST by Albion Wilde ("Look, the establishment doesn't want me, because I don't need the establishment." --Donald Trump)
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To: SunkenCiv
Someone should look around for the pile of ostraca they must have used for pickup tickets.

Nice one! I had to look that word up!

62 posted on 01/05/2016 8:33:23 PM PST by Albion Wilde ("Look, the establishment doesn't want me, because I don't need the establishment." --Donald Trump)
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To: SunkenCiv

I would have loved to have seen Pompeii when I was in Europe, just never got the chance. I love seeing all of the pictures.


63 posted on 01/05/2016 8:45:08 PM PST by Duchess47 ("One day I will leave this world and dream myself to Reality" Crazy Horse)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

You should have said, “It helps hide the blood stain.”..............................


64 posted on 01/06/2016 6:59:23 AM PST by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: csvset
Watching them make muskets was fascinating though.

You must be very old.......................

65 posted on 01/06/2016 7:00:30 AM PST by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: SunkenCiv

“Ancient Roman secret, huh?”


66 posted on 01/06/2016 8:00:42 AM PST by To Hell With Poverty (All freedom must be transported in bottles of 3 oz or less. - Freeper relictele)
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To: C19fan

Yeah, it’s amazing what slave labor will do for the elite’s standard of living......

/sarc


67 posted on 01/06/2016 10:22:20 AM PST by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
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To: To Hell With Poverty

;’)


68 posted on 01/06/2016 4:21:41 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: SunkenCiv

See, I was just thinking of that old commercial two days ago, and then I got your ping. :P


69 posted on 01/06/2016 4:37:45 PM PST by To Hell With Poverty (All freedom must be transported in bottles of 3 oz or less. - Freeper relictele)
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