The bathroom is one the place in the home we all like to relax at the end of the day. The concept of the bathroom stretches further back than you probably imagine all the way back to 3000 BC. Bathrooms were not used like they are today; they were not primarily designed for hygiene, but were considered a religious place. Water was thought as being a purifying element for the body and soul. It was not unusual for people to bathe before they entered the sacred area. Baths were recorded as a large part of village and town life at this time in history.
Not all of the ancient bathrooms were that different from today though, as not all were like the communal Roman baths. The last surviving ancient bath tub dates all the way back to 1700 BC and was found in the Palace of Knossos in Crete. Interestingly this bath tub is very similar to our tubs today and even the plumbing is very similar how we use ours these days.
The Greeks and the Romans both recognised how important bathrooms were in daily life and famous Greek writers such as Homer would write about their heroes bathing in warm water to regain strength. The mother of Achilles' is famously known for bathing him in water to rejuvenate his invincibility.
All of palaces that have been discovered throughout Greece have been found with bathing areas with space for clay bath tubs and sophisticated drainage systems. The Roman's thoughts on bathrooms are well documented throughout history, they were known for being places where people could be social and relax. Wealthy Roman families would have their own private baths whereas others would have to use the public ones. Imports also meant that the Roman's would enjoy adding extras to their baths much like we do today, with mirrors, incense and combs.
After the Roman Empire fell bathing did not completely decline as it is often reported, the Middle Ages saw the beginning of soap production and shows that bathing must have still been popular. It was after the Renaissance that it declined. Water was seen as a disease carrier so heavy perfume was preferred. During the 16th, 17th and 18th century the use of public baths really declined and private baths were preferred-creating the role of the bathroom in the modern home.
Now thanks to the industrial revolution the bathroom has evolved and mechanisms were invented to have hot running water to the bath. This helped make bathing far more personal and created a room in the home that all the family could use and still do use today.
Author Resource:
Dominic Donaldson is a historian with many years of experience in society. Find out more about Bathrooms from Bathrooms4all.Distributed by Content Crooner
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")