An archaeological site has just revealed something scientists didn’t expect.
which once had a site Caesar’s Forum in Rome Researchers Find A Burial Well Built By Julius Caesar medical waste century dating from the Renaissance XVI DC, Thrown by the Ospedale dei Fornari, or Baker’s Hospital, which was founded in 1564 in the nearby Piazza della Madonna di Loreto.
artworks included medical devices (such as glass jars for collecting urine), ceramic medicine containers, and porcelain figurines that were probably personal effects, he reports. Science alert.
The research team, led by archaeologist Christina Boschetti of Aarhus University in Denmark, believes the dump may have been used in an attempt to destroy potentially infectious items. Reducing the spread of epidemics.
Roman ruins uncovered during work on a metro line (PARCo).
It is possible that this well may shed light on the disposal of regenerative medical waste as a means of disease control in a densely populated city.
“Defining medical dumpsites in archaeological contexts can be challenging because it requires an integrated approach that combines excavation data with materials study and detailed functional contextual analysis,” the researchers write. Science alert.
“Here, we present one such medical dump site excavated in 2021 in the Forum area of Caesar.”
Single use hole
The site was excavated in 2021, during which the team found a quaint brick-lined room About 2.8 meters deep, with a layer of soil that conceals the contents.
Later investigation revealed that the cistern was dated from 16th century AD and was not used before or after the objects found in it were deposited, he says Science alert.
The team believes it was a one-time hole.
Some of the personal items found in the pit: a dromedary figure, devotional medallions, coins, whorls, and a rosary bead (Sovirentenza Capitolina/Caesar’s Forum Project).
Beneath the soil, the team found a truly curious group of objects: broken pieces of glass and pottery; small, intact, high-quality ceramic pots; and personal objects such as terracotta figurines, devotional medallions, spinning spirals, and a bead, Maybe from a garland.
There were also various lead clamps and quantities of charred (burnt) wood commonly used in furniture hardware. This collection of objects, thrown haphazardly and sealed under a layer of clay, may have been more of an enigma, but they had a similar collection of objects to draw from, he reports. Science alert.
By closely examining the objects retrieved from the reservoir, Boschetti and his colleagues counted approximately 1200 pieces of glass. Many of these, the researchers determined, were likely vials of urine Known as Matula in medieval Latin sources.
Ornamented plates, all from the late 16th century AD (Sovirentenza Capitolina/Caesar’s Forum Project).
“During medieval times, the visual examination of urine, uroscopy, became a central diagnostic tool in medical practice and remained so until the 18th century,” write the researchers.
“The patient’s urine is poured into a flask so that the physician can observe its colour, sedimentation, odor and sometimes taste,
These are rare in domestic contexts, but have been found in large numbers associated with medical facilities, such as other waste pits associated with Fornari’s Ospedale. Other items included pottery for cooking and eating. to each patient he was given his “kit” Such things when entering the hospital.
Prevent plagues
Piecing the clues together, investigators believe they point to decontamination processes. burnt wood conforms to the protocol of a 17th-century hospital that preaches furniture burning and removal bedding, tableware, and other items that have been in contact with patients with infectious diseases, such as the plague.
What appears to be the deliberate sealing of the cistern with mud also supports this interpretation: whoever threw the objects wanted complete containment, he points out. Science alert.
This finding suggests that more attention needs to be paid to how our ancestors dealt with disease control, particularly in large urban centers such as Rome.
Fragments of vials of urine found in the cistern (Sovientendenza Capitolina/Caesar’s Forum Project).
“Prior to the present study, the early modern disposal of waste from hospital and medical contexts to prevent the spread of disease had received only sporadic archaeological attention with limited cross-contextual investigation,” the researchers write, adding Science alert.
“As a result, the evidence presented here adds significantly to our understanding of waste disposal practices in the Renaissance, while also highlighting the need for a more comprehensive description of early modern European sanitary and disease control regulations.”
