modernity & Medieval Muck
Fig. 1
Photo clip from “Filthy Cities” Episode 1
Intro
Jorgensen explores the realities of sanitation in London during the Medieval times. In her work, she responds to a television program called “Filthy Cities” and their episode about plumbing and sanitation in Medieval London. As she breaks down the dichotomy of Medieval plumbing and modern-day plumbing, she discusses the problem in hyperbolizing the filth during these historical times. The result of exaggerating the unsanitary aspects of Medieval times, according to Jorgensen, undermines the seriousness of issues in our modern day technology and will possibly halt the progression of advancement in our toilets.
more people, more waste
As populations rose in London, this spike in inhabitants naturally called for a plumbing system to properly handle the amount of waste. About 80,000-100,000 people lived in the metropolis, in turn, a governmental system was created to handle the many issues that arose as a result of the population rising, waste management being one of them. The two departments in the system that were most involved in city planning and sanitation was the Husting, the highest city court, and the ‘wardmote’, the local court ward for the city. They often dealt with situations such as managing rainwater, damage to property, road obstructions, drain blockages, etc. (Chew & Kellaway, 1973). The records of these wardmotes hold some of the most accurate information about how life was actually during the Great Stink.
(Fig. 2-5) Historical depictions of Medieval London
Keepers of the Road
These foul odors were definitely prominent during these times and the government system in place did all they could to fight this. The stink was a sure sign of unsanitary conditions. One of the ways the Husting and wardmotes tried to maintain the health of their people was keeping track of street and pavement conditions. Four government officials in these houses would ensure that there were no obstructions, such as horse dung, and that they were properly repaired to make sure waste was eradicated smoothly (Sharpe. 1899). In order to ensure that the streets are kept in good condition, they created legal nuisances to keep the public accountable. They made private property owners responsible for the sanitary upkeep of their surrounding surface areas (Jorgensen, 4).
(Fig. 6) Eradication of waste in the streets through underground systems
dichotomy of medieval filth and modern filth
As primitive as our modern day media makes the era of the Great Stink seem, Jorgensen uses her voice in her work to highlight how these times inspired many of our modern plumbing and sanitary policies today. Just because the quality and efficiency of our plumbing technology has advanced greatly since The Great Stink, doesn’t mean we don’t have sanitary issues that are equally as severe as those back then. Waste management is actually one of the leading reasons as to why our planet is facing so many environmental issues. According to Melford, we currently bury our waste deep into the earth because we cannot find a solution to make these energies less radioactive. Indeed we may not be dumping communal waste into cesspools or dumping them into our streets, but the dramatic increase in water usage and harmful emissions being released into our atmosphere. We may not be dealing with disease and ‘stink’, but every era comes with it’s set of struggles when it comes to dealing with waste management. Jorgensen explains that constantly comparing our progress to the past will inhibit growth for our future ‘muck’. y. This includes indoor pumping as well. With the development of new drilling and pumping techniques in the 1960’s, as the visitors increased greatly (1.5 million visitors per year), inns were able to have their own baths once again (Remseyer, 16).
(Fig. 7) Pollution from UK study from sewage
Works cited
Jørgensen, Dolly. “Modernity and Medieval Muck.” Nature and Culture, vol. 9, no. 3, 2014, pp. 225–237. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43304068. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.
Image Citations
Bibby, Miriam. “London’s Great Stink.” Historic UK, www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Londons-Great-Stink/.
“Causes of Water Pollution 1.” Water Pollution UK, 2018, www.water-pollution.org.uk/sewage-and-wastewater/.
Dash, Mike. “Repairing the Fleet Sewer.” Smithsonian Magazine, 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/quite-likely-the-worst-job-ever-319843/.
“A Gross Realization: Historical Sanitation.” History, Interupted, 2015, blog.cnbeyer.com/history/a-gross-realization-historical-sanitation/.
Meredith , Norman. “Life in a Medieval Town.” John and Clare, 1969, www.johndclare.net/KS3/1-6-2.htm.
Milne, Gustav. The Growth of London as a Port from Roman to Medieval Times. Gresham College, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXSM05m3OZc.
Whipple, Tom. “A Study of Skulls Dug up in London Reveals That Many of Them Had Injuries Caused Just before They Died.” The Times, 2017, www.thetimes.co.uk/article/study-of-skulls-from-medieval-london-reveal-high-rate-of-violence-14th-century-shoe-lane-kathryn-krakowka-st38fzb0v.