Archaeologists in South Korea uncovered a 1,300-year-old flush toilet system within the ancient Donggung palace complex. The discovery sheds new light on the sophistication of sanitation facilities during the Silla Kingdom period.
"We assume that this was the crown prince's toilet. History's first flush toilet! This toilet drained directly into a nearby river," said Kim Gyeong Yeol, who led the excavation at the site and is an archaeologist at the Korean Heritage Service, according to Dagbladet. Kim described the find as historic, noting that these flush toilets are the first of their kind in Korea.
"The royal toilet with river drainage is the first of its kind in Korea. It is absolutely incredible, and it suggests that royals and other higher-ranked individuals in ancient Korea had access to more advanced sanitary facilities," Kim added, as reported by Dagbladet.
"They did not function like today's flush toilets," explained Kim from the Korean Heritage Service, according to Live Science. Someone, perhaps a servant, would have poured water into them to allow them to flush.
Among the toilets found within the palace remains, one was set apart from the others, with its own drainage system discharging human waste directly through a pipe to the river. This toilet was likely used by the crown prince and ladies of the court close to him, according to Live Science.
The name of the palace, Donggung, translates to "Crown Prince." The Donggung palace was built in 674 CE along with a pond called Woji Pond during the beginning of the Unified Silla period, when the Silla Kingdom ruled over more than half of the Korean Peninsula.
The Silla Kingdom is considered one of the oldest kingdoms in Korea. For over a decade, archaeologists in South Korea made several discoveries at the ancient palace in the Silla Kingdom. Previous excavations uncovered the remains of at least 26 buildings at the site, as well as numerous artifacts including bowls, plates, and flower-patterned bricks.
Other flush toilets found outside the palace in nearby structures stored human waste inside them, functioning similarly to public restrooms. Some were placed next to each other and operated like classic outdoor toilets, with feces left on the ground under the toilet. The palace toilets' unique drainage system underscores the hierarchical significance of the facility used by the crown prince.
Flush toilets have been found in other ancient cultures. Between 2600 and 1900 BCE, the Indus Valley Civilization in present-day Pakistan had cities with flush toilets that directed waste to a series of pipes, which emptied into a sewage system, reported Live Science. The Indus Valley Civilization flourished around the time when the pyramids were being built in Egypt, indicating that sanitation systems existed thousands of years ago.
Sir John Harrington invented a device in 1596 for Queen Elizabeth I that "released wastes into cesspools," an early version of modern toilets. However, Harrington's device lacked an S-bend, meaning that smells could have wafted back into the room, and it required 7.5 gallons (28 liters) of water to flush, as noted by Live Science.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.