Yesterday afternoon Vilamuseu held the presentation of the book ‘The Laundry Works of Plans’ a work about the Roman archaeological site of Plans. The authors of the book, recently released by Servicio de Publicaciones of Alicante University, explained yesterday that the archaeological site of Plans in la Vila Joiosa is one of the few laundries (fullonica) and dry cleaners (tinctoria) known in Roman Hispania. In addition it is the most completely preserved and the oldest of all of them which gives it enormous scientific value. The authors are the archaeologists Jesús Moratalla, Alicante University professor, Antonio Sellés and Gabriel Segura, Director of the firm Arquealia.
The excavation reveals that the ‘Romanisation’ of the city of Allon is older than first thought, given that from the 1st century BC there functioned a building dedicated to an industry characteristic of Roman cities. Although the owners of the building were most likely Roman, without doubt the workers (about a dozen) would have been Iberian given the great amount of Iberian ceramics.
The laundry operated between the era of Julius Caesar and the first years of Imperial Rome (approximately 50 BC to 20 AD). At first it functioned as a laundry and then a second phase was added to the south east carrying out dry cleaning; some fabrics, at least were dyed red. Some of the pieces found are typical of these establishments, such as a ‘chifla’ or metallic spatula used in the treatment of skins.
This is an exceptional discovery in Roman Hispania that is set to place the Roman Municipium of Allon in the spotlight of the peninsula’s archaeological history. The publication has resulted from a salvage excavation carried out by the archaeological firm, Arquealia, on behalf of the developer of the area, Litoral Mediterráneo. It is unusual that these excavations see the light of day so comprehensively in a book such as this.