Archaeologists find 1,800-year-old Roman "refrigerator" with food remains during excavations in Bulgaria (photo)

Polish archaeologists have discovered an "ancient refrigerator" during excavations at a Roman legion camp in northern Bulgaria. A ceramic oven dating back to the 4th century AD, a set of wine vessels, decorated vessels with smooth and scalloped motifs, and more than 200 different artefacts were also unearthed.

According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), the leading archaeologist, Professor Piotr Dyczek, noted that the "refrigerator" found in the military barracks in Novae had a compartment for storing food, with ceramic dishes and animal bones found in it.

Read also: Ancient sword dating back 1,500 years found at the bottom of a lake in Sweden

He added that the preserved bone fragments show signs of heat treatment, meaning that the meat stored in the container was baked.

There were also particles of charcoal and a fragment of a small bowl, which, according to Dychek, could be the remains of a censer used to scare away insects.

According to the archaeologist, finds of such "refrigerators" are rare as they rarely survive after building reconstructions.

Archaeologists also found fragments of water supply systems and both ceramic and lead pipes.

According to Dr. Martin Lemke from the Antiquity of Southeastern Europe Research Center, the fragments of the water supply network at Novae show that the Roman army attached great importance to ensuring uninterrupted access to water as a basic necessity. The soldiers could use it, for example, in the baths.

As a reminder, a worker in Spain found rare 2,500 years old artefacts among water pipes.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!