Archaeologists unearth 2,400-year-old flush toilet in China, details here

Archaeologists in China have discovered the remains of what may be the oldest known flush toilet in the world. As per a CNN report, a research team unearthed broken parts of a 2,400-year-old lavatory and a bent flush pipe last summer in the ruins of a palace in Shaanxi province’s Yueyang archaeological site. Yueyang remained the capital of the Qin Kingdom for around 35 years. It was also the first capital city of the Han Dynasty. The excavation team included Liu Rui, who is a researcher at the Institute of Archeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Liu Rui told state media that the toilet was likely reserved for high-ranking officials during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and the later Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD).

The toilet is thought to have been used by Qin Xiaogong (381-338 BC) or  his father Qin Xian’gong (424-362 BC) of the Qin Kingdom during the Warring States Period, as per a China Daily report. Another belief is that it was used by Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty. Liu Rui stated that water would likely be poured into the toilet bowl by the servants every time it was used.

Liu Rui said, “The flush toilet is concrete proof of the importance the ancient Chinese attached to sanitation.” He added that very few records of indoor toilets were present in ancient times. The toilet has been described as a “luxury object” by the researchers. It was thought to be inside the palace, having a pipe that would lead to an outdoor pit, as per media reports.

The soil samples collected from the toilet are now being analysed by the archaeologists. By doing so, they are hoping to find out what people ate during that time.

The recent finding is a part of a broader effort for understanding ancient Chinese dynasties. According to Liu Rui, we can dig deeper into ancient palaces to learn more about the social reforms and systems of the kingdom besides using written records as a source.

Before the recent discovery, the invention of first flush toilet was credited to the English courtier John Harington. The toilet was supposedly installed by Harington for Queen Elizabeth in the 16th century.

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