Archaeologists Uncover 2,200-Year-Old Flush Toilet that is Likely the Oldest of its Kind

Archaeologists in China discovered a flush toilet that was probably among the earliest ever found, according to a report from China's state news agency.

The archaeologists discovered several architectural elements while excavating the foundations of two large palace buildings from the Warring States Period to the Qin and Han Dynasties.

Qin and Han Dynasties

Xinxing and Wutun Streets, Yanliang District, Xi'an City, and Shaanxi Province served as the location of Liyang City during the Qin and Han dynasties. Literature records indicate that Liyang served as Qin's capital for more than 30 years before the Qin dynasty relocated to Xianyang.

The two buildings, rectangular in shape and face south overall, were made of platform foundations and scattered water, according to Liu Rui, a researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

One of the building platforms included a giant half-circle tile known as the "Watang King." This discovery is significant because it clarifies a long-standing scholarly controversy about the use of the large half-circle tile.

Toilet Relic

A toilet relic was also discovered by the archaeologist, which was made up of two components: an indoor toilet seat on a platform and an outdoor sewage pit. The upper construction of the toilet seat does not exist since it was damaged, according to the report.

The toilet is believed to be 2,200 to 2,400 years old, dating from the end of the Warring States Period to the start of the Han Dynasty. The finding is significant because it may refute the earlier belief that Victorian England is where the modern flush toilet first appeared, as noted by Business Insider.

According to Liu Rui, the clearing of the structures revealed for the first time the planar shape of significant palace structures that were located in the center of the city from the middle of the Warring States period to the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty.

Last summer, a pipe leading to an outdoor pit was found, along with a toilet bowl and other shattered pieces. Liu Riu told China Daily that the "luxury object" was probably only utilized by the highest-ranking members of the palace discovered in the Shaanxi province of China.