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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...
5th century chamber pot from the Roman villa at Gerace, Sicily (Italy). Source: Roger Wilson / Journal of Archaeological Science

Parasite Traces Show ‘Storage Jars’ Were Actually Portable Chamber Pots

A brilliant new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science highlights how the archaeologists and researchers involved in analyzing a 1,500-year-old chamber pot have developed a unique...
A rare First Temple Period toilet in Jerusalem dating back more than 2,700 years. 	Source: Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority

Rare First Temple Period Toilet Discovered In Jerusalem

A First Temple-era private toilet has been unearthed in Jerusalem. While in itself the toilet is an exceptionally rare find, surrounding it evidence was unearthed of a rich fruit garden within a “...
Helle’s Toilet: Three-Person Loo Seat was Unusual Medieval Status Symbol

Helle’s Toilet: Three-Person Loo Seat was Unusual Medieval Status Symbol

Helle’s Toilet is the name given to a Medieval toilet seat that was discovered during an archaeological excavation in London. It is most notable for being a rare example of a triple toilet seat...
Main: The cesspit excavation site. Inset: The tile of the mythical beast found at the site. Source:          MOLA

Mythical Beast Unearthed in Medieval English Cesspit

A rare medieval tile depicting a mythical beast has been discovered within the treasures recovered from a 14th-century cesspit in England . Since discovering the 14th century chalk-lined cesspit in...
Main: Blenheim Palace (Snowshill / Adobe Stock). Inset: The Gold Toilet (CC by SA 2.0)

Solid Gold Toilet Stolen from Blenheim Palace

A remarkable and slightly bizarre theft has been announced in Britain. An 18-carat gold toilet valued at £1 million has been stolen from the world-famous Blenheim Palace. The lavatory was part of a...
Medieval style bathing depicted in calligraphy of a book circa 1400.

Medieval Hygiene Might Have Been Better Than You Think

The Medieval period is usually perceived as a time in Europe during which the greater part of the continent was in decline. In many aspects of Medieval society, the quality of life was inferior as...
Remains of what appears to be a flush toilet made during the Unified Silla Dynasty in the 8th century have been discovered in a secondary palace in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.

A Stone ‘Throne’: 8th Century Toilet Unearthed at Korean Palace Complex

Archaeologists in South Korea have unearthed the remains of a royal bathroom. The discovery provides insight on what high-end hygienic services would have looked like for royals over 1000 years ago...
Demons in Your Toilet? Guardians of the Sewers and How They Protected Ancient Latrines

Demons in Your Toilet? Guardians of the Sewers and How They Protected Ancient Latrines

As a ritual symbol of purification, water plays a key role in the public space of hygiene and sanitary activities as well as in almost all religions past and present. From the first moment mankind...
Terror of the toilet

Beware the Supernatural Bathroom Spirits, Toilet Deities, and Dung Demons

Every place in the world has its own legends and superstitions. These led to beliefs about gods, demons, and spirits which haunt a certain location. Even toilets have their own otherworldly beings...
One of the many subterranean chambers discovered by Luciano Faggiano during his excavations under Lecce, Italy.

Man Intent on Fixing Toilet Uncovers Centuries-Old Subterranean World Beneath his Basement

An Italian man’s dream to open a modest restaurant became an archaeological obsession when he broke ground in order to repair a faulty toilet. The underground world filled with centuries of history...