John-

I found paired privies in the backyard space of a commercial establishment in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, on the Knoxville Courthouse project that I thought might be for males and femailes. They dated to the late 19th century. The older privies were backfilled with the excavated dirt of the later privies and contained few artifacts. One of the two latest privies was loaded with all types of artifacts (including Civil War artifacts such as cannonballs, ammunition, and a sword, and the paired later privy was practically devoid of artifacts. 

Pat Garrow

-----Original Message-----
>From: "John M. Foster" <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Apr 10, 2008 3:25 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Privies, male and female
>
>I'm working on a ca. 1870 courthouse.  It has two privies which have 
>contemporary artifacts.  The larger privy is 8 x 8 feet and the smaller is 4 x 8 feet. 
> They are separated by 8 feet.  I have two questions for the list:
> 
>1. has anyone been able to find historical references to construction of male 
>AND female privies for a public institution?
> 
>2. Has anyone excavated male and female privies in a institutional framework? 
> Or in any other context? 
> 
>The artifacts we recovered were lost in use and not as a result of a "filling 
>in process."  I will remain silent on the artifact list until I see some more 
>references.  
> 
>Any comments would be appreciated.
> 
>John Foster, RPA
>
>
>
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