Archaeologists digging in Guatemala uncovered something they never expected to find – the world’s oldest steam room. Thought to be used by the Maya for religious rituals – and of course, relaxation – the steam room they found is thought to be more than 2,500 years old.
The steam room is located in the ancient Maya city of Nakum. Inside, they found fragmented ceramic vessels and obsidian tools. It is believed these may have been used for different rituals, reported the Assistant Professor of New World Archaeology at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.
Carved almost entirely out of limestone bedrock, this is one of the oldest steam baths in all of Mesoamerica. The archaeologists overseeing the dig in Guatemala found the steam bath approximately five years ago and are still excavating the site. Upon initial discovery, the archaeologists mistook it for a tomb. As different parts gradually came to be uncovered, it was clear it was likely a steam bath.
The ancient Maya people associated steam baths with different religious rituals. Priests and the religious elite are believed to have used baths like these not only to wash their bodies but also to cleanse themselves prior to important events. Caves and baths are treated as places the first peoples were born. They’re very sacred places to these people and, prior to religious occasions, they were commonly used as a baptism of sort. Held in high regard, steam baths were a way to connect to gods and ancestors, in addition to being associated with the origin of life.
The tale of the Guatemala steam bath discovery is quite something. First, the team found a downward-sloping tunnel carved into rock. It’s believed this is where the steam bath’s excess water flowed through.
Both sides of the tunnel into the steam bath had stairs with rock-cut benches lining them. The oval-shaped entrance is likely where there were large stones placed, to be heated and splashed with water to produce steam.
Excess water would flow through a channel down the middle of the floor and towards the exit. It’s likely some sort of structure may have been built from wood, stone, and/or mortar to keep steam from leaving the room. Nothing’s been confirmed so far in the dig.
It’s believed the steam bath was used by the Maya people from 700 BC to 300 BC, before it was covered in mortar and rubble. This was likely done to represent the change of dynasty, or a similarly important change in the community’s social and religious life.
This is not the first ancient Maya bath that’s been discovered. This might be one of the most complete ones that have been though. So many have been fragments of the original structure, as opposed to the Guatemalan steam room which is perfectly preserved.
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