• PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPM
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    4 months ago

    They didn’t have any form of advanced cooling, so generally it would be simply unheated water kept away from the sun and away from the furnaces. You can get a room reasonably cool with stonework and clay insulation like that.

    • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      4 months ago

      It wouldn’t look Roman, but I bet if they used ancient air conditioning techniques around a hollow tub of bronze then it could be described as properly cold

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPM
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        The Romans understood the capability of wind to cool structures, and would intentionally build in accordance with the prevailing winds and the needs of the structure in question, but unfortunately, I don’t believe the Romans ever developed real cooling systems of the kind that the ancient Persians did. Windcatchers and yakhchals and such.

        The Romans did sometimes ferry snow from nearby mountains to cool their baths, but obviously that’s not viable in all situations - and certainly not for bathhouses frequented by ordinary citizens!

        • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          Oh yea I agree with you there. I’m imagining combining techniques like wind catchers with terracotta cooling, something that would likely only arise from our modern understanding