Geoff,

By George, you might be onto something.  Perhaps we, archaeologists should
take a closer look at use patterns on shells found in pits.  This actually
could revolutionize research strategies much like what resulted from
archaeo-magnetism readings taken from fired brick, chronological dating
through the analysis of hinge rings on oyster shells, blood residue on
lithic tools and points, etc.  There could be an entirely new technological
field of study evolving even as I write this.

I can only imagine the acronyms that might result from this new field of
research.  One that just came to me is:

Shells
Having
Amazing
Technology
Teaching of
Individuality
Not
Gender


-----Original Message-----
From:   geoff carver [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Saturday, July 22, 2000 5:01 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: movement of privies

Wittkofski, J. Mark schrieb:
> Ned,
>
> One would think you have picked a "stinky" subject this time.  I agree
with
> you that archaeologists seem to have "sanitized" this subject from the
> literature.  Anyone interested in delving further into "the pot" ought to
> check-out the Roto-Rooter web sites:
>
>                 http://www.roto-rooter.net/html/rr_hist_tom_crapper.html
>
>
http://www.roto-rooter.net/html/rr_history_of_plumbing.html
> <http://www.roto-rooter.net/html/rr_history_of_plumbing.html>
>
> One tidbit I learned about the history of toilet paper might offer some
> serious anthropological insight into human behavior.  Perhaps, even, this
> might explain the age-old theory of "migrating oysters" (you know when
such
> shells frequently are found on inland sites, far from their place of
> origin!).
>
> "Toilet paper as we know it dates back to 1880 when it was introduced by
the
> British Perforated Paper Company. Before that time, the cleaner of choice
in
> the West was a scraper, usually a mussel shell.  (c.f. roto rooter,
history of
> plumbing web site).
>
anyone try the experimental approach? use wear analysis? i'm trying to
imagine
this medieval network of mussel-shell salesmen wandering the highways and
byways
of europe and beyond, hawking their wares -
        but might yet explain all of the shells we find in our late
medieval/renaissance pits -


geoff carver
http://home.t-online.de/home/gcarver/
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