Getting clean during excavation is always a big issue. This is usually closely linked to the place you stay and the number of people. And we have stayed at a number of places on and around Greefswald.
When we first started working at Mapungubwe, the farm Greefswald was still controlled by the National Defense Force. They maintained the Hardekool Camp as a bushcamp for highplaced officials in the goverment and Army who came to hunt on the farm. They had a big army shower trailor. This had a row of showers on the one side and basins on the other. At the far end of the trailor were a number of flushing toilets. The showers were supplied with hot water by an array of gas-heaters. Now, iff you open all the showers at once and let it run for a while - sauna! And unlimited supply of hot water. And everyone was happy. Even in a big group.
One year they had a flood and the trailor got damaged. So someone replaced it with a building containg two units of three basins, three showers and three toilets each in a normal building. Hot water was supplied by an electrical geyser. Electricity was supplied by a generator. The generator did not run constantly. Spot the problem? That meant that timing was crucial. The inexperienced stormed for the showers to get clean. Getting clean was not their fun-part of the day! They washed, got clean, went back to the fires and went to bed smelling dirty in any case. Others waited until bedtime. Generator has been running since early evening. No-one has bathed for at least an hour or three. Unlimited supply of hot water! And a few were happy.
Then the war moved out.
No generator. No camp. Only building with water. In 1997 we hired the camp on the farm Samaria next to Greefswald. Fortunately we were only a few and although primitive, washing wasn't that bad once you managed the in-and outlet trick.
Hot water was supplied from a big kettle on top of a gasburner. If you fill it and boil the water, it is enough water to fill the bath with warm water. And then you get balance the cold inlet and warm outlet to supply a constant stream of warm water. And overflow happens by itself. Some of us were fortunately of the right size and could fit comfortably inside the bath and spend a number of evenings lying there and watching stars.
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