††††Around 2000 BC the Cretan Palace of Minos was built. It was noted for its internal water supply and bathrooms. The Greeks and Romans later used baths of silver or marble. Early bathing usually took place in rivers, and sometimes had a religious significance, particularly in India, where washing in the Ganges was thought to be connected to the cleansing of the soul. The first people to have public baths were the Greeks. These baths were a cross between bathtubs and a swimming pool.
The Romans extended this idea to include baths in their own homes - these were heated by hot air piped beneath. They had different types of baths for different purposes, which included swimming baths and steam baths, as well as 'ordinary' baths. Public baths were still a feature of European cities in the 11th and 12th centuries, although private baths were rare.
Baths did not really begin to appear in private homes until the 19th century, often in the form of a tin hip bath. It was not until the 20th century that baths were to become more popular.
