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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Medieval toilet. Source: Mikhail / Adobe Stock.

From Pits to Flushes: The Strange History of Toilets (Video)

Throughout history, human waste disposal has undergone a remarkable transformation. In ancient India, as early as 2500 BC, the Indus Valley showcased a rudimentary toilet and sewer system that was...
A 19th-century woman during London’s Great Stink woman drops her teacup in horror upon viewing a magnified drop of polluted Thames River water, which was a prime source of water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. 	Source: William Heath / Public domain

The Great Stink of 1858: When the Thames River was Filth and Excrement

What happens when we stop taking care of our surroundings? Humans create a lot of waste, and it needs to be disposed of adequately. Neglecting to do so can only lead to trouble. Londoners living in...
The black sarcophagus was found to contain three skeletons and lots of sewage.

Over 20,000 Have Petitioned to Drink the ‘Pharaoh Punch’ of the Black Sarcophagus

The strange story of the black sarcophagus found in Alexandria continues… In an unexpected turn of events, over 20,000 people who have signed an online petition requesting permission to drink the red...
Ruin of a second-century public toilet in Roman Ostia.

Rats, Exploding Toilet Seats and Demons of the Deep: The Hazards of Roman Sewers

I have spent an awful lot of time in Roman sewers – enough to earn me the nickname Queen of Latrines from my friends. The Etruscans laid the first underground sewers in the city of Rome around 500 BC...