Latrine Use and Human Waste Management in East Asia: Configurational and Depositional Approach

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Latrines have been excavated in East Asia dating back to the second century BCE. To tackle with the fact that the number of latrines that have been reported does not match with the one of settlement sites, this paper provides possible solutions of detecting a latrine with the configurational approach and the depositional approach. Excavated cesspits, cesspools and flushing type latrines made of bricks and wood, as well as the mortuary pigsties and latrines from Han Dynasties’ tombs, suggest possible architecture structures of latrines. Artifacts such as hygiene sticks and wood ash can be used to determine the presence of latrines. Also, the anaerobic condition makes sediment analysis be possible. Considering the geologic condition of this region, some insects, macrobotanical remains, parasites, phosphate, coprostanol, and vivianite can be used as indicators. Latrine structures, in relation with the context concerning the surrounding environment, provide information of latrine use, human excrement and waste management, and reveal people’s idea towards latrines and human waste in ancient East Asia.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24585