Privies (18th and Early 19th Century)

The most primitive privy "sinks" were unlined or lined with thin wood or wood shavings. The artifacts within this privy dates to to eighteenth or early-nineteenth century period of manufacture. In 2023, archaeologists and volunteers from University of New Orleans encountered the pit underneath of a house that dates to 1820s, at 915 St. Ann Street. This pit would have been in use before the house was erected.

Archaeologist excavating an unlined pit at 915 St. Ann Street. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Faience (1700-1800) and creamware (1762-1820) from the unlined pit at 915 St. Ann Street. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Olive Jar fragments from 915 St. Ann Street. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Creamware with red, enamel overglaze (late 1760-1810). Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Ceramic, including hand-painted pearlware, from the unlined pit at 915 St. Ann Street. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Unlined privy pit under brick-lined privy pit from 626 Bourbon Street, Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Hover the curser over the image to interpret these privy sinks.

During this 2017 excavation at 626 Bourbon Street, archaeologists and volunteers from University of New Orleans encountered both a brick-lined privy shaft and an unlined privy shaft, beneath. They isolated artifacts as they excavated by ten-centimeter levels, and in doing so, they were able to tell that the contents of two privy sinks got older overtime. In fact, the artifacts that came from the unlined privy pit underneath the brick-lined privy pit dated almost fifty years older than the artifacts from the brick-lined privy pit above. Therefore, archaeologists concluded that the residents or owner of 626 Bourbon Street decided to build a brick-lined privy shaft over the original pit.

Historic ceramic from the unlined pit at 626 Bourbon Street. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Historic earthenware sherds from milk pans, likely eighteenth-century French vessels. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

The finish, neck, and shoulder of an earthenware jug. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Blade of a folding fan made of polished and etched bone. Courtesy of UNO ARC.