Dear Colleagues,
 
Next year will be the last of a three year project in the studiyng of
350 cesspits/privies from four Dutch river towns, Deventer,
Dordrecht, Nijmegen and Tiel. The glass and ceramics are being
studied in a systematic order with the aim to start a general finds-
catalogue for the Netherlands. The metal, tiles, claypipes and
botanical material are being studied aswell. The leather, textiles
and wood will come later.
The range of dating is from 1180 AD up to the 1st WW. All together 50
cubic meters of finds! We hope to have the publication finished by
early 1997.
In Holland privies are built within the house regurarly, in the rear
the watercellars are situated or it is a place for craft-activity.
Many cesspits are nevertheless built in the rear 'garden' or
'plaats'. Sometimes houses have two cesspits, one in the house for
the general waste, the other in the rear for kitchen waste. Sometimes
old cellars are used as privies (Dordrecht) and in constant use for 3
centuries without emptiying them. The size of these cellars is the
size of a normal floor in a town house, 6 x 12 x 4 m!.
 
to keep you informed,
privies smell but produce the best material!
 
many regards
Michiel Bartels
ROB
Amersfoort NL