|
|
|
| Question:
How did villa owners look after their health? |
| |
| |
| Bathhouse |
| Bathhouses such as this one at Chilgrove villa were used socially as well as for cleaning purposes. They usually had at least one hot room (caldarium), warm room (tepidarium) and cold room (frigidarium). |
|
| Strigil |
| In the bathhouse, after a bather had raised a sweat, his or her body would have olive oil smoothed over it. Then a slave scraped the oil and dirt from the body with a strigil similar to the one illustrated here. The curved metal shape helps remove the oil efficiently, and leaves the skin feeling pleasantly tingling and smooth. |
|
| Toilet set |
| This is called a 'toilet set'. There is a spoon, which may have been used either for cleaning out ears, or for taking cosmetics from pots. The next item is a pair of tweezers, used for getting rid of unwanted hairs. Finally, there is a fingernail cleaner. 'Toilet sets' like this would have been important accessories for women throughout the Roman period. |
|
| Ligulae |
| Two bronze objects known as ligulae. A ligula was an instrument with a narrow cup-shaped scoop at one end. It may have been used as a medical probe, or as an ear scoop or for picking up small quantities of ointment (medical or cosmetic) from jars. |
|
| Unguentarium |
| This is part of a small glass bottle called an unguentarium. It probably contained medicines or perfumes. |
|
| Wood comb |
| This is a double-sided wooden comb, used for combing hair. |
|
