We believe that sauna and communal health bathing have existed globally for thousands of years and we have archaeological evidence of this. In Scotland ‘Burnt Mounds’ are often found by water which indicates, that the stones which were repeatedly burned were used to heat water. Stones would be heated in fire and the hot stones dropped into a stone or wooden water trough to the heat water inside. Barber (1990) claims there is no reason not to assume that, some Burnt Mounds could have been used for bathing, washing and as sweat houses as well as for other purposes. Finding a wooden trough next to a burned mound is rare but in 1999, Cressey, Strachan, Church, McGill & Tams published a paper about a the excavation of two burned mounds and a wooden trough near, Inshes, Inverness. We can not know for certain, but we might imagine that this Inverness site was a place where water was heated for multiple uses and perhaps this included bathing and even sweat bathing in the Bronze Age. In Orkney there are remains of a Bronze Age sauna building where water poured on hot stones creates steam to warm and clean the body.
Barber, J. 1990. Scottish Burnt Mounds: Variations on a theme. In Buckley, V. (ed) Burnt Offerings: International Contributions to Burnt Mound Archaeology. Wordwell: Dublin
Cressey, M., Strachan, R., Church, M., McGill, C., & Tams, A. (2004). The excavation of two burnt mounds and a wooden trough near Beechwood Farm, Inshes, Inverness, 1999. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 133, 190–203.
Steam and heat bathing traditions continue across the globe, including Onsen in Japan, Sweat Lodges in the Americas’ and Hamman in Turkey. In Europe the Finnish have a sauna in almost every home, and the southern Estonia Smoke Sauna tradition is protected by UNESCO .
The Lithuanian International Bath Academy promotes traditions of Pirtis and sharing woodfired sauna in nature. Germany follows its own Aufguss sauna rituals with international Aufguss competitions.
International Bath Academy, Lithuania
There is much to experience in community bathing and heat traditions around the world. In Britain there is a growing practice of authentic sauna and the UK Sauna Map expands every month. The British Sauna Society is supporting the growing sauna community and sauna industries. The press and media are reporting more on the excitement that surrounds this expanding British Sauna culture.