Medieval Wax Notebook and Silk Toilet Paper Found in Latrine
In a discovery that has surprised even seasoned archaeologists, a medieval wax notebook dating to the 13th or 14th century has been found perfectly preserved inside a latrine in Paderborn, Germany. Alongside it, fragments of fine silk were recovered, which experts believe were used as toilet paper — a detail that speaks volumes about the wealth of whoever once used that pit. The find, announced by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) on May 12, 2026, is described as unique in all of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The discovery came during construction work for a new city administration building in Paderborn’s historic center. The site lies in a sensitive urban zone near the immunity wall of the Abdinghof Monastery, bounded by Marienplatz to the south and Abdinghofstraße to the west — an area that in the Middle Ages was home to the upper ranks of the urban bourgeoisie. Excavations, which began in December 2024, uncovered five medieval latrines, one of which contained the notebook alongside wooden stave vessels, a knife, proto-stoneware pottery, textile remains, and fragments of basketry.
The medieval latrine, half excavated. (Denkmal3d, Heike Tausendfreund /LWL / Sveva Gai)
www.Ancient-Origins.net – Reconstructing the story of humanity’s past
Source: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/medieval-wax-notebook-00102785
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Whistler Blowers, Insiders
An ancient latrine can be full of unexpected riches. Here in the United States, before indoor facilities, we had outhouses. A small wooden shack with a wooden bench that had egress to a deep pit.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, people would go into the outhouse, pull their pants down and lose all their money down the pit.
This wasn’t paper money. These were gold coins. And silver coins. Many of them are still entombed in long dried out shit pits. When I first got into metal detecting, those old outhouses were ubiquitous, and considered prime targets for detectorists. A $20 gold piece from 1870 would be worth thousands today. Sounds disgusting but these pits are long dried out. During their use, a bag of agricultural lime would be in the corner, and typically a handful was tossed down the pit after they finished their business, so they were surprisingly clean, even back during their everyday use. They have petrified and solidified long ago. Those buried treasures are sitting there just waiting to be found.