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Date: | Thu, 28 May 1998 04:56:15 -0700 |
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There may be some ethnic component to your observation, but I would check to see
if there are any ordinances or regulations that governed privy construction
first. It could possibly be difference in time period where one type was
constructed before an ordinance and another after or maybe there were different
ordinances for different locations. Also, look at the privy vault depth. Is
there a pattern with depth according to construction type? Maybe one
construction type was better suited for a deep vault or a shallow vault. There
could be several factors that causes the pattern you see with ethnicity
certainly being a distinct possibility, as well as, socio-economic factors.
Privy vault architecture is a very interesting topic, one in which I have
investigated in Louisville, Ky. I have been able to interpret perceptions of
sanitation using privy architecture and established ordinances, distinguish
socio-economic status, and a difference between African-American privies and
Euro-American privies in a neighborhood, which was largely socio-economic.
However, it certainly worth looking at.
You might try a couple of references.
Douglas Bryant wrote an article in "American Archaeology" 7(1):66 1988, where he
attempted to look at ethnicity through privy architecture.
Also, My masters thesis at the University of Kentucky deals partly with Privy
architecture- M. Jay Stottman "Out of Sight, Out of mind: An Archaeological
Analysis of The perception of Sanitation"
Or
M. Jay Stottman 1995 Towards a Greater Understanding of Privy Vault
Architecture in "Historical Archaeology in Kentucky" available from the
Kentucky Heritage Council (SHPO).
I hope this helps, I would be very interested in seeing what you come-up with.
M. Jay Stottman
Kentucky Archaeological Survey
University of Kentucky
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