Reveal-it-all toilet facilities open to public
Earlier this month while I was in Turkey, I went back to Magnesia on the Maeander, one of the 2 ancient cities in western Turkey named Magnesia. This time I discovered a particular attraction in the ruins that I had missed a year earlier: the communal toilets.
A nearby display in English explained thus:
The Public Lavatory (Latrine) 4.-6. Century A.D.I suspect the top of the bench was modern, because only 2 of the seats had full openings, while the rest were just depressions.
A vestibule with a pool; in the second room two fountains, benchs [sic] for sitting along the three sides for appr. 20-25 pupil [people], run-off water to cleanse before the bench and running water under the seating to carry refuse from there. Excavated 1993-94; partly restored 1995.
The accompanying picture on the display showed several men using the facility.
But where did women go to relieve themselves?
2 comments:
You didn't mention the sponge on a stick ? ...personal hygiene . I think the women probably had to go home if there were no separate facilities . Who knows , maybe they were truely communal .
The clothes are interesting, assuming they are historically accurate. The guys are wearing short-sleeved or long-sleeved tunics with short trousers underneath that tie at the sides.
Susan J. Hewitt
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