LAUSR

The study of waste and waste management in past populations is a subject of great complexity within archaeological research. For what actually constitutes waste, and how did past peoples manage their waste? This paper discusses definitions of waste within archaeological contexts, and how waste could be managed within urban populations. The paper also examines questions of waste management through a case study of four plots and four vret (spaces in-between plots) in the town of Nya Lödöse (1473–1624) in modern day Gothenburg. This study confirms the complex nature of waste, and calls for more in-depth analyses on the subject.