UNcleanliness Next to Godliness? : Archae-Facts

Welcome to Archae-Facts, the place to find bite-sized chunks of Archaeological Trivia!

Today, we consider whether cleanliness is in fact next to Godliness?

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#archaeology #history #anthropology

[LoreleiLala]

Interesting. We seem to have arrived at a place where everything has to be virtually without bacterial life at all, without smirch, or signs of a physical existence, so your assertion that we wish to be closer to a state of godliness may indeed be the case, despite most of us living in an almost entirely secular society. It extends way beyond the body though, to our living quarters. An example: I have a septic tank here, so can't use bleach as it kills the bacteria which make it do it's work. My home is clean (well as clean as seems relevant to me) and not diseased, yet there is this myth that any and all germs need to be eradicated, which is nonsense, and works against health, not for it. It was almost like breaking free from a piece of conditioning I had been unaware of. I wonder how we'll be viewed by historians of the future. I'm not sure it's all about wanting to be near a god though, more to do with being 'perfect' enough to adequately emulate the religion of consumerism.

[NewLesbianMom]

how much do you think the black plague played in turning around this idea on un-cleanliness was godly?

[palmerjwm]

Have any sources for Saxon bathing practices to share?