What can an excavation in a Roman bath and its surrounding area uncover? If the monument is near an ancient municipality about which we know little, like the municipality of Araphen (now Rafina), it might bring to light valuable information potentially related to it. And if it’s connected to other significant finds, such as an inscribed olive press basin – unique for its inscription – it could provide insights that might change perspectives and beliefs about rural life in late antiquity.

The Athens News Agency (ANA-MPA) visited the archaeological site of the Roman Bath in Rafina, where systematic excavation has been conducted since 2013 as part of a collaborative program between the Department of History and Archaeology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Eastern Attica (EAA). The agency spoke with the site’s excavators.

“We are in the Municipality of Rafina-Pikermi, somewhere between Diastavrosi and the well-known port of Rafina. Here, in this area known as the Roman Bath of Rafina, the remains of an ancient building complex were accidentally discovered during the 1970s, due to public works carried out by the then-community of Rafina. The Archaeological Service, seeing it as its duty to investigate, uncovered a complex of rooms initially believed to have a bathing function, and subsequently moved to expropriate the site. However, for 45 years, the site remained unidentified; although the monument was preserved and cleaned, it faced risks concerning its future preservation. In 2012, the Second Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Attica decided to collaborate with the University of Athens and Roman Archaeology Assistant Professor Stylianos Katakis. Since 2013, a program of systematic excavation has been underway, aimed at determining the character of the monument and its possible connection, along with its surrounding area, to the ancient municipality of Araphen – one of the few ancient municipality names that have survived almost unaltered to the present day,” Dr. Vangelis Nikolopoulos, Head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Museums of the EAA, and co-director of the excavation, told ANA-MPA.

“The central area is a Roman balaneion (bath), one of many found throughout the Mediterranean. Baths were a crucial part of the culture at the time, not only for cleanliness but also as popular places for social interaction. They were, however, expensive projects, requiring both water and substantial fuel for heating the floors and walls. In its initial phase, in the 2nd century AD, the Roman Bath of Rafina was quite large – its boundaries are still unknown – but from the 3rd century onward, it was reduced in size. We have identified three construction phases, and evidence from the 3rd century indicates that the building was fairly luxurious, as shown by mosaic remnants and marble facings found in certain areas, although its overall size was limited,” notes Dr. Stylianos Katakis, Assistant Professor of Roman Archaeology at NKUA and co-director of the excavation.

Claudia Nikagora Introduced It

Next to the monument, a test cut made in 1974 revealed the upper surface of a limestone olive press basin, with a diameter of 1.68 m. Olive press basins were common tools for processing olives from classical times until recently; “in fact, the processing method remained unchanged until about 50 years ago,” the professor explains. However, in 2014, something unique was uncovered: an inscription on the olive press basin which reads:

“Cl(audia) Nikagora, wife of M(arcus) Junius Mnas- / ea brought [this]. Aur(elius) Aristo- / nekos made [it] for archon Dionysios.”

“This is a very important inscription for interpreting the site, as it reveals who, or rather which woman, brought the basin to the olive press. The inscription credits Claudia Nikagora, who ‘brought’ the basin, with her husband Marcus Junius Mnas, mentioned as treasurer of the Delphic Amphictyony in 212 AD, giving us a precise date. All those mentioned in the inscription, including the basin’s craftsman, bear Roman names, meaning they were Roman citizens – a reminder of how the decree of Caracalla in 212 AD granted Roman citizenship to all empire residents. Furthermore, the inscription suggests that this site was public rather than private, shedding light on many aspects of the area,” Dr. Katakis points out to ANA-MPA. But how common was it for a woman at that time to make such a donation? “The inscription proves that a woman of that period could possess wealth, power, and even substantial land ownership, as indicated by other inscriptions listing Attican landowners, among whom there were also women,” he adds.

A Mysterious Building

One of the most enigmatic aspects of the excavation is a very large structure, about 46×21 meters, occupying the entire northeastern part of the site. “It was previously thought to be an early Christian basilica, but initial findings suggest that might not be the case,” the professor notes, concluding our tour of the site with a stop at a ceramic kiln uncovered in 2015, which is in fairly good condition. “This is the second kiln found here. Combined with the olive press and wine presses uncovered, it indicates an agro-industrial facility from late antiquity, likely operating until the 6th century AD. This area was used for processing local products, which were probably stored in this large building, although it’s too early to be certain of its function,” explains Dr. Katakis.

The excavation also has an important educational aspect, as it is a university-led project that has involved dozens of students since it began in 2013. “Every September, a large group of students, around 40-50, participates in two excavation periods. Only this year, due to known circumstances, we managed to continue our research with a smaller group of about 10 students,” Dr. Katakis clarifies. This research is currently in its second five-year phase as part of an approved research program, “which still has a long way to go for completion,” Dr. Nikolopoulos emphasizes, also thanking the Directors of the Ephorate of Antiquities who have successively supported the project – Ms. Eleni Banou, Anastasia Lazaridou, and Eleni Andrikou – as well as the Mayor of Rafina-Pikermi, Evangelos Bournous, and the Rafina Port Authority, who have assisted with practical and essential excavation issues. The hope is that this site will soon become accessible to visitors, preserved, and protected.

Additional Information: More details on the excavation findings can be found in the study by the excavators titled New Research in the Archaeological Site of the So-Called Roman Bath in Rafina: Private or Public Space? published in the collective volume What’s New in Roman Greece, in the series Meletimata No. 80, by the National Hellenic Research Foundation / Institute of Historical Research (Athens, 2018).