Lavish ancient Roman bathhouse — with a unique style — unearthed in Italy. See it

Digging into the rocky soil of some hills in Sicily, Italy, archaeologists expected to uncover some interesting finds — but the unique ancient structure that reemerged surprised them.

A team of archaeologists from the University of Palermo returned to the ruins of Halaesa Arconidea on the northern coast of Sicily for their fifth excavation season, according to an Oct. 2 news release from the Sicilian regional government.

While working at the site, archaeologists uncovered a lavish ancient Roman bathhouse, or thermal complex.

The bathhouse was unique for Sicily because of its style and size, Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, a regional councilor for cultural heritage, said in the release. The ruins have rich decorations and span roughly 8,600 square feet.

Officials shared photos of the ancient ruins in an Oct. 2 Facebook post but did not specify which structures were the bathhouse.

Excavations also uncovered two rooms with mosaic floors, a courtyard with column-lined walkways, wall fortifications and a forgotten monumental complex, archaeologists said. Photos show these ruined structures.

Ancient Roman bathhouses, also known as thermae , were relatively large, standardized complexes where people bathed, relaxed and socialized, according to Britannica. The complex usually had three different types of pools: hot, warm and cold. Although the exact order is debated, thermae visitors would likely undress and exercise before moving through the different pools in decreasing temperature.

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The ancient city of Halaesa Arconidea was founded around 400 B.C. and, around 250 B.C., became one of the first Sicilian cities to side with the Romans during the First Punic War, according to an article from the Sicilian archaeological park authorities. As a result of its early allegiance, the Roman conquerors gave Halaesa Arconidea special privileges, making it exempt from taxes and autonomous.

Archaeologists plan to continue excavations at the site, officials said in the release.

Halaesa Arconidea is in modern-day Tusa and along the northern coast of Sicily, an island off the southern coast of mainland Italy.

Google Translate was used to translate the news release and Facebook post from the Sicilian regional government.

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