Chinese Archaeologists Find 2,400-Year-Old Flush Toilet, One Of The Oldest In The World

Illustration of the Chinese flag. (Wikimedia Commons/Ecow)

JAKARTA - A team of Chinese archaeologists managed to find the remains of one of the oldest known toilets in the world, aged about 2,400 years with a twisted sired pipe excavated last summer by a research team among the ruins of an ancient palace at the Yueyang archaeological site in central Xi'an, according to Chinese state media.

Described by the researchers as a "luxury object", the toilet is thought to be located inside the palace, with pipes leading to the outside hole, according to China Daily.

Liu Rui, a researcher at the Institute of Archeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, which is part of the excavation team, told state media the toilet was most likely provided to high-ranking officials during the Period of War Countries (475-221 BC) and then the Han Dynasty (206 SM-220 AD). He added that servants are likely to pour water into the toilet bowl every time it is used.

"The flush toilet is a clear proof of the importance of ancient Chinese being attached to sanitation," Liu said, adding there were few notes about indoor toilets in ancient times.

The ruins of Yueyang, the former capital of Qin State and then the first capital of the Han Dynasty, were discovered in the 1980s. The recent discovery was part of a broader effort to understand the ancient Chinese dynasty, including how people lived and how their cities were built, the Institute said in a statement announcing the discovery.

Archaeologists are now analyzing soil samples collected from toilets in hopes of discovering what people had eaten during that time, according to China Daily.

Prior to the discovery in China announced, the discovery of the first water toilet was widely credited to British player John Harington, who allegedly installed one for Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century, although a 4,000-year-old drainage system that may have been connected to toilets was discovered in northwest India.

A flush toilet in #ancient #China?!😲Recently, Shaanxi #archaeologists discovered a flush toilet about 2400 years ago. This is the only remains of a toilet found in the #archaeology of ancient #Chinese palaces.🧐 pic.twitter.com/SRUJQfF5ba

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