Session: #222

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
4. Polis, Empire, League and Beyond – Living in Interconnected Societies
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
Ad Salubritatem Civitatum. The Archaeology of Water Evacuation Infrastructures in Roman Urban Settlements
Content:
The famous passage by Ulpianus in the Digest (43.23.1.2), referring to the need of repairing and cleaning the city’s sewers to safeguard public health, highlights the interest of the ancient Romans in the construction and maintenance of water evacuation infrastructures. However, although Roman cities shared the same urban and hydraulic engineering principles, their execution was adapted to very different realities, from provincial capitals to secondary towns and other small urban settlements.
This session focuses on the archaeological evidence of structures related to urban sanitation in the Roman period, namely sewers, drains, latrines, and cesspits. Papers can present regional or local studies, but also more specific analyses on a particular site or building. The main objective is to discuss rain and wastewater disposal systems and to determine if there were differences based on the following variables: degree of urban development, legal status, geographical and climatic conditions, availability of water resources, and influence of pre-Roman traditions.
Papers addressing methodological aspects focused on the research and archaeological record of these structures are also welcome. In this sense, the results of both archaeometric analysis (geomorphology and bioarchaeology, including paleoparasitology) and new graphic documentation techniques (photogrammetry, laser scanner, 3D reconstructions, etc.) are considered of great interest. The combination of cultural and bioarchaeological data will allow to to deepen the understanding of the construction, operation, maintenance, and hygienic conditions of sanitation structures in Roman urban centres.
Keywords:
sewerage systems, toilet facilities, cloacae, urban planning, hygiene, Roman provinces
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:

Organisers

Main organiser:
Jesús Acero Pérez (Spain) 1
Co-organisers:
Jean-Baptiste Lebret (France) 2
Catarina Felício (Portugal) 3
Affiliations:
1. Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of Seville
2. Casa de Velázquez
3. CHAM – Centre for Humanities, FCSH, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa