Down the drain: reconstructing social practice from the content of two sewers in a Late Antique bathhouse in Jerash, Jordan

Blanke, L., Bangsgaard, P., McPhillips, S., Pappalardo, R. and Penn, T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4472-9031 (2024) Down the drain: reconstructing social practice from the content of two sewers in a Late Antique bathhouse in Jerash, Jordan. Journal of Roman Archaeology, 37 (1). pp. 241-263. ISSN 2331-5709 doi: 10.1017/S104775942400014X

Abstract/Summary

This contribution examines social practices in the Central Bathhouse in Jerash in Late Antiquity based on the ceramic assemblage, vessel glass, faunal remains, and small finds retrieved from two sections of the bathhouse’s sewer. We argue that although the bathhouse underwent significant architectural alterations from its construction in the 4th c. CE to its abandonment in the late 7th, the activities taking place inside the building remained largely the same. Our study shows that even towards the end of the bathhouse’s lifespan, bodily grooming remained integral to the bathing experience, while food and drink were consumed on the premises even though the bathing facilities had been reduced to a bare minimum. The faunal remains indicate the type of food consumed, while the small finds illustrate a lively environment where gaming and gambling took place in a social space frequented by men, women, and children.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/119164
Identification Number/DOI	10.1017/S104775942400014X
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Humanities > Classics
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
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