That Other Type of Throne

Toilets may have been around much longer than you think, because even some of the ancient civilizations had them. For example, they were in the early city of Ephesus, which is in Turkey today. Certainly, the wealthy people in ancient Egypt had bathrooms with toilets in their homes, and early limestone toilet seats have been found there. The Indus Valley civilization (2,600 - 1,900 BC) had sewers under the streets and toilets that were flushed with water (http://www.localhistories.org/toilets.html).

In the Middle Ages, toilets were usually just a wooden seat over a pit. However castles might have a garderobe, which was a stone seat attached to a shaft that emptied outside, maybe in the moat. Hey, they wanted the moat to deter attacks.

For a time, chamber pots were common. Emptying and washing out the pots were not pleasant tasks, however. The chamber pot was sometimes hidden in seats or chairs, which made it more comfortable. Some of these where hard to distinguish from a regular chair a first glance.

Then came the necessary or outhouse. These little buildings were erected over a hole for the refuge. They could have one seat or more. The better made ones had seat edges sanded smooth.

Of course, these types of early toilets overlapped each other in time periods. Chamber pots and outhouses were being used in the same eras. Even in modern times, different cultures have different ideas about what is best. For example, many Asian cultures prefer the toilet be even with the floor or ground, while Western cultures normally prefer raised units. The history of toilets may cause smiles (or snickers, in the case of students), but most of us would admit they're important.

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