Horses to Horse Power: The Development of Street Sweeping Practices

Abstract

Much of what we know of the history of human Settlements comes from archaeological excavations of occupation sites and particularly the examination of garbage deposited in middens. These archaeological ruins, often in the form of mounds or tells, contain the refuse of human activities that have accumulated in urban landscapes over many years. In some parts of the Middle East, for example, many of the tells that dot the landscape are topographic highs visible for miles. The tell deposits consist of a variety of urban debris including old building materials, ceramic vessels, and tiles in a matrix of dust and fine debris. How did these areas develop so that they grew vertically with time? Was it a conscious decision or was it just the nature of the development?