First call for papers
Conference: Roman latrines and cesspit toilets
in the northwestern provinces.
Contact: Latrine2009 AT gmail.com
The public and private toilets in the Roman cities in the Mediterranean area have been the subject of archaeological research for many years. We know a great deal about the way these toilets were constructed and how they functioned, but also about all kind of related things such as the social aspect of visiting a toilet and rituals connected to it, or practical aspects such as the use of urine in the tanning of leather.
When looking to the northwestern provinces, it is clear that the research of these structures has been much less extensive. Up to now, attention was mainly paid to some large toilets excavated in cities or military complexes. Practically nothing is known about private toilets. The main reason for this is, that most of these private toilets are cesspit-toilets, which - because of the bad preservation chances of the materials used - are difficult to recognize and are often mistaken for rubbish pits. Little attention has been given to this aspect of Roman daily life up to now and when found, such toilets were often supposed to have been indigenous. Recent excavations however have demonstrated that both private and public toilets are to be expected when excavating Roman settlements.
This conference is the first in which Roman period toilets in the northwestern provinces will be the subject of the research. The private toilets as well as the public and semi-public military toilets will be looked into in separate sessions, with a forth session for multidisciplinary research round the toilets, such as research on bio-archaeological data and anthropological research on the use of toilets.
We aim to focus on the construction and functioning of the toilets, their location (inside /outside the house, specific use of rooms etc) with attention also given to the scientific research of the contents, but excluding the finds (ceramics, etc), as this will divert from the main subject.
We plan to publish the proceeds of the conference as a book.
The conference will take place on the 1st -2rd of May 2009 in Nijmegen (the Netherlands) in collaboration with the Radboud University Nijmegen.
We are inviting everyone to come forward with proposals for papers or posters for this conference. Proposals can be mailed to Latrine2009 AT gmail.com. The proposal should contain a title and a short description of the contents of the paper/poster (1 page). Please state clearly in which session you would like to present your paper:
1. Private toilets
2. Public toilets
3. Military toilets
4. Multidisciplinary research (e. g. science and anthropology)
Looking forward to receiving your proposals,
The organising committee
Elly Heirbaut, Bureau Stadsarcheologie Nijmegen
Stefanie Hoss, Small Finds Archaeology, Nijmegen
Gemma Jansen, Radboud University Nijmegen
Eric Moormann, Radboud University Nijmegen
Contact: Latrine2009 AT gmail.com
Conference: Roman latrines and cesspit toilets
in the northwestern provinces.
Contact: Latrine2009 AT gmail.com
The public and private toilets in the Roman cities in the Mediterranean area have been the subject of archaeological research for many years. We know a great deal about the way these toilets were constructed and how they functioned, but also about all kind of related things such as the social aspect of visiting a toilet and rituals connected to it, or practical aspects such as the use of urine in the tanning of leather.
When looking to the northwestern provinces, it is clear that the research of these structures has been much less extensive. Up to now, attention was mainly paid to some large toilets excavated in cities or military complexes. Practically nothing is known about private toilets. The main reason for this is, that most of these private toilets are cesspit-toilets, which - because of the bad preservation chances of the materials used - are difficult to recognize and are often mistaken for rubbish pits. Little attention has been given to this aspect of Roman daily life up to now and when found, such toilets were often supposed to have been indigenous. Recent excavations however have demonstrated that both private and public toilets are to be expected when excavating Roman settlements.
This conference is the first in which Roman period toilets in the northwestern provinces will be the subject of the research. The private toilets as well as the public and semi-public military toilets will be looked into in separate sessions, with a forth session for multidisciplinary research round the toilets, such as research on bio-archaeological data and anthropological research on the use of toilets.
We aim to focus on the construction and functioning of the toilets, their location (inside /outside the house, specific use of rooms etc) with attention also given to the scientific research of the contents, but excluding the finds (ceramics, etc), as this will divert from the main subject.
We plan to publish the proceeds of the conference as a book.
The conference will take place on the 1st -2rd of May 2009 in Nijmegen (the Netherlands) in collaboration with the Radboud University Nijmegen.
We are inviting everyone to come forward with proposals for papers or posters for this conference. Proposals can be mailed to Latrine2009 AT gmail.com. The proposal should contain a title and a short description of the contents of the paper/poster (1 page). Please state clearly in which session you would like to present your paper:
1. Private toilets
2. Public toilets
3. Military toilets
4. Multidisciplinary research (e. g. science and anthropology)
Looking forward to receiving your proposals,
The organising committee
Elly Heirbaut, Bureau Stadsarcheologie Nijmegen
Stefanie Hoss, Small Finds Archaeology, Nijmegen
Gemma Jansen, Radboud University Nijmegen
Eric Moormann, Radboud University Nijmegen
Contact: Latrine2009 AT gmail.com