Collective Baths in Egypt 2. New Discoveries and Perspectives

Boussac, Sylvie Denoix, Thibaud Fournet et Bérangère Redon (éds.), 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient. Proche-Orient, Égypte et péninsule Arabique, 2014. Julien Loiseau, Reconstruire la Maison du sultan (2 vol.), 2010. Marie-Françoise Boussac, Thibaud Fournet et Bérangère Redon, Le bain collectif en Égypte, 2009.

Boussac, Sylvie Denoix, Thibaud Fournet et Bérangère Redon (éds.), 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient. Proche-Orient, Égypte et péninsule Arabique, 2014. Julien Loiseau, Reconstruire la Maison du sultan (2 vol.), 2010. Marie-Françoise Boussac, Thibaud Fournet et Bérangère Redon, Le bain collectif en Égypte, 2009.

Unpulished MA thesis, University of Copenhagen 2008

116th Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America January 8-11, 2015 New Orleans, Louisiana Colloquium Session: Social Life in Public Baths in the Ancient Mediterranean and Beyond Organizer: Alissa Whitmore (University of Iowa, [email protected]) While scholarship on Roman public baths has been popular for some time, sustained dialogue between specialists of different regions has often been limited. Scholars of urban public baths typically have only passing familiarity with military bathhouses, and researchers focusing on Romano-British baths often have limited acquaintance with those in the eastern provinces. Given the vastness of the Empire, no scholar can attain expertise in all facets of ancient bathing, but the lack of integration in bathing scholarship can prevent researchers from becoming familiar with other cultures, approaches, and datasets. Furthermore, this isolation limits our knowledge of similarities, differences, and temporal changes in public bathing culture in and around the Mediterranean. To acknowledge and address this issue, this colloquium offers an inclusive and diachronic study of social life in ancient public baths. Session papers, integrating a variety of approaches and datasets, focus on bathing culture in different time periods, regions, and societies. Adrienne Hagen (Violence and Vulnerability) incorporates ancient literature, inscriptions, and iconography to reveal the higher risk of violence that women, children, and slaves faced in Roman baths. Maryl Gensheimer (Decoration and Discourses) analyzes free standing and architectural sculpture to evaluate the different experiences of elite and subaltern bathers in the Baths of Caracalla. Alissa Whitmore (Bathing on the Edge) uses small finds and architectural layouts to investigate the activities and social identities of bathers in Romano-British and Gallo-Roman military baths. Robert Darby (Drawn to the Baths) evaluates graffiti and inscriptions found in the Near Eastern 'Ayn Gharandal fort and military baths to illuminate the significance of bathing for ancient soldiers. Stefanie Hoss (The Influence of Christianity) integrates ancient texts and architectural spaces to examine the impact of religion on changing bathhouse layouts in Late Antiquity. Fikret Yegül concludes the session with a discussion of these topics and papers. With its range of approaches, regions, and time periods, this colloquium represents a step toward a more integrated study of ancient bathing. Each paper situates public baths in their larger cultural contexts, revealing similarities and differences between bathing cultures and underlining the interplay of baths, social organization, power, and belief systems. Several papers, as well as the diachronic (1st – 7th c. C.E.) nature of the colloquium, provide insights into temporal and cultural changes in ancient bathing culture. Others offer a more comprehensive understanding of the social experiences of lower class bathers and life in military baths. Together, these papers illustrate diverse approaches which can shed light on ancient social life and the utility of a more unified study of public bathing. Presenters and Papers Adrienne Hagen (University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA) – Violence and Vulnerability in the Roman Baths Maryl B. Gensheimer (University of Maryland, USA) – Decoration and Discourses on Social Status within the Baths of Caracalla Alissa M. Whitmore (University of Iowa, USA) – Bathing on the Edge: Roman Military and Vicus Baths in the Northwest Provinces Robert Darby (University of Tennessee, USA) – Drawn to the Baths: Daily Life and Desert Leisure in the Cohors II Galatarum. Stefanie Hoss (University of Cologne, Germany) – The Influence of Christianity on the Culture of Bathing and Bathhouse Design. Discussant: Fikret Yegül (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA)

SPA. SANITAS PER AQUAM. Proceedings of the International Frontinus-Symposium on the Technical and Cultural History of Ancient Baths, Aachen, March 18-22, 2009 (Ralf Kreiner und Wolfram Letzner eds.), 2012

In Bérangère Redon (ed). Collective baths in Egypt 2. New discoveries and perspectives, Presses de l'IFAO, 2017, p. 1-10

Boussac, Sylvie Denoix, Thibaud Fournet et Bérangère Redon (éds.), 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient. Proche-Orient, Égypte et péninsule Arabique, 2014. Julien Loiseau, Reconstruire la Maison du sultan (2 vol.), 2010. Marie-Françoise Boussac, Thibaud Fournet et Bérangère Redon, Le bain collectif en Égypte, 2009.

Greek Baths and Bathing Culture, New Discoveries and Approaches (S.K. Lucore, M. Trümper eds.), 2013

A/Z : ITU journal of Faculty of Architecture

The abundance of water and springs has always allowed the presence of quite numerous baths in the ancient medinas. These public buildings have played a major role in the daily lives of the inhabitants, and have continued to evolve to this day. In this place the bathers carried out a hygiene of the body and the mind but also allowed themselves, meetings and discussions between the different social classes. Today, the modernization and degradation of the medinas, that of Tlemcen, Nedroma or other cities, threaten this architectural element, whose traces must be transmitted to future generations as a testimony to a civilization. Given its multifunctionality, the hammam deserves a multiple dimensional reading. In this article, we will present an inventory of two existing baths: the Nedroma one dating from the 11th century, and the one of the dyers whose dating is unknown; before moving on to a comparative study of their architectural and spatial characteristics. Indeed, their comparative study allows us to answer a set of hypotheses relating to their dating, but also to grasp the typology and architectural aspect in which they are part: more modest baths, if we compare them with the monumental baths of Turkey or the Middle East.

This volume includes the results of the first conference to take place on Greek baths and bathing culture, a subject that has been largely neglected since the only comprehensive study on this topic was published in French in 1962. Since then, the material evidence of this topic has increased significantly and approaches to studying this material have changed considerably. Roman bathing culture has enjoyed major scholarly attention since the 1980s, as is obvious from many synthetic studies on the architecture and decoration of Roman baths, numerous conferences on Roman bathing culture, and monographs on single buildings. In contrast, the Greek equivalent, and indeed important precursor, still awaits a comprehensive reassessment, which would explore in particular its critically underestimated socio-cultural significance and regional manifestations. The conference aimed to fill this major gap in research, bringing together an international group of experts in various disciplines, including archaeology, art history, history, literature, and ancient medicine and science, whose work recently has been advancing our knowledge of Greek bathing and related topics. The following overview of the state of research will reveal the most important gaps and questions in the study of Greek bathing culture, which have had a major impact on the organization of the conference and this volume.

In Bérangère Redon (ed). Collective baths in Egypt 2. New discoveries and perspectives, Presses de l'IFAO, pp.99-137, 2017

Boussac, Sylvie Denoix, Thibaud Fournet et Bérangère Redon (éds.), 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient. Proche-Orient, Égypte et péninsule Arabique, 2014. Julien Loiseau, Reconstruire la Maison du sultan (2 vol.), 2010. Marie-Françoise Boussac, Thibaud Fournet et Bérangère Redon, Le bain collectif en Égypte, 2009.