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/ [log in to unmask]