KASKAL

Rivista di storia, ambienti e culture del Vicino Oriente Antico
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Bathing Rooms in First-Millennium Assyria

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Abstract

This article presents a review of the archaeological evidence relating to those spaces identified as bathrooms in the main Neo-Assyrian palaces. An examination of the primary elements – fixed features, interior decoration, position within the palace and connectivity, use of water and possible protocol rules – serves to delve into aspects of hygiene, privacy, and protection, and supports concluding that bathrooms were the most ‘hygienic’ locations within a building. The results also aim at paving the way for a better understanding of the extent to which bathrooms contributed to the building of an Assyrian social identity and its preservation.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: July 18, 2024 | Accepted: Oct. 25, 2024 | Published Dec. 19, 2024 | Language: en

Keywords Neo-Assyrian Palaces • Water • Bathroom • Hygiene • Privacy

Copyright © 2024 Ludovico Portuese. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/KASKAL/5235-1939/2024/01/012