The Archaeology of Sanitation in Roman Italy Toilets, Sewers, and Water Systems
Synopsis
The Romans developed sophisticated methods for managing hygiene, including aqueducts for moving water from one place to another, sewers for removing used water from baths and runoff from walkways and roads, and public and private latrines. Through the archeological record, graffiti, sanitation-related paintings, and literature, Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow explores this little-known world of bathrooms and sewers, offering unique insights into Roman sanitation, engineering, urban planning and development, hygiene, and public health. Focusing on the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ostia, and Rome, Koloski-Ostrow's work challenges common perceptions of Romans' social customs, beliefs about health, tolerance for filth in their cities, and attitudes toward privacy. In charting the complex history of sanitary customs from the late republic to the early empire, Koloski-Ostrow reveals the origins of waste removal technologies and their implications for urban health, past and present.Book details
- Series:
- Studies in the History of Greece and Rome
- Author:
- Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow
- ISBN:
- 9781469621296
- Related ISBNs:
- 9781469645537, 9781469623269, 9781469621289
- Publisher:
- The University of North Carolina Press
- Pages:
- 312
- Reading age:
- Not specified
- Includes images:
- Yes
- Date of addition:
- 2020-12-18
- Usage restrictions:
- Copyright
- Copyright date:
- 2015
- Copyright by:
- The University of North Carolina Press
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Categories:
- History, Nonfiction, Social Studies