Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Hippolytus´ house: a roman medical bath in
complutum?
Graña N (1) , Diaz E (2)
(1) Medical Hydrologist, Madrid, Spain
(2) Geologist, Madrid, Spain
nargradev@yahoo.es
Introduction and Objectives
In Spain, a substantial number of the archaeologist findings of Roman Medical
Bath are located in Extremadura, Galicia, east of Catalonia, south Andalucía and
Murcia, all related to the main roman roads of Hispania. However, in the way from
Tarraco to Emerita Augusta, are not many archaeological sites and practically none
of them in Madrid, despite the abundance of medical mineral water (MMW) springs
in the region.
Because of this information we start a search of the archaeological sites with
MMW in Madrid. In the site of Complutum, nowadays Alcalá de Henares, we
found information about the site called La Casa de Hippolytus (Hippolytus House)
where the architectonical buildings are a bath structure, set out as a collegia see,
build by the Annios family1.
Materials and Methods
We realized an analysys of the data about the Casa de Hippolytus, also we
analize the hydrogeologycal characteristics of the field and the water of the site
zone and finally we compare the architectonical structures of differents romans
baths with Hippolytus ones.
In this site it was found a well with mix sulphurated and strong mineralized water
that correlated with another sites founds.
In a geological context, inside the Madrid basin3 Hippolytus House is over the
Henares river terraces. The terraces are of the Medial Pleistocenus Age and consist
of chippings, gravel, clay and sands, all of these materials are placed over clay, sand
and gypsum of the Medial Miocenum of Madrid. Owing to the Miocen sediments
works as an aquifer inside de Madrid basin, and are affected by a NorthEast-
SouthWest fault, this would be the origin of the sulphurated water springs.
Results
In this site it was found a well with mix sulphurated and strong mineralized water
that correlated with another sites founds.
In a geological context, inside the Madrid basin3 Hippolytus House is over the
Henares river terraces. The terraces are of the Medial Pleistocenus Age and consist
of chippings, gravel, clay and sands, all of these materials are placed over clay, sand
Balnea 287
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4
2012, núm. 6, 287-288