Looks more like this would have held the sponge--note the notch for the stick--between uses, after rinsing in water. I would guess it sat next to the vinegar pot.
Posted on 01/21/2013 11:34:48 PM PST by ApplegateRanch
The Roman artefacts, deliberately shaped into flat discs, have been in the collection at Fishbourne Roman Palace since the 1960s.
And up until now the museum thought the items were used for early games, such as draughts.
But, a British Medical Journal article has now proposed they have a very different function.
The broken pieces range in size from 1 inch to 4 inches in diameter and were excavated near to the museum in Chichester, West Sussex in 1960.
It is well publicised that Romans used sponges mounted on sticks and dipped in vinegar as an alternative to toilet paper.
Yet, the idea these ceramic discs might also have been used is a revelation.
[snip]
"The pieces had always been catalogued as broken gaming pieces but I was never particularly happy with that explanation.
"But when the article produced the theory they were used to wipe people's bums I thought it was hilarious and it just appealed to me.
"I love the idea we've had these in the museum for 50 years being largely ignored and now they are suddenly engaging items you can relate to."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I took the liberty of using the GGG keyword.
Tha hell? They would have used them to “scrape” the area or what?
yeah. then how do you scrape THEM off ?
Looks more like this would have held the sponge--note the notch for the stick--between uses, after rinsing in water. I would guess it sat next to the vinegar pot.
Sounds like the shells we will use in the future.
Probably, since there are a lot of them, each person had their own "brush holder".
The Roman Navy invented the ASROC.
...and the Brits invented the Hedgehog.
Sounds like a load of s**t.
Exactly what I thought
I believe you are right. I can’t think of why anyone would want to rub a rock across their butt, myself. Makes more sense it’s just a holder for the sticked sponge...
That was a baaaaaad movie.
ASROC (for Anti-Submarine ROCket) ? (USAF guy)
Sounds like something from the David Macaulay book “Motel of the Mysteries”, lol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Macaulay
Sounds like something from the David Macaulay book “Motel of the Mysteries”, lol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Macaulay
Sorry all, double post.
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