There are many surviving examples of papistical latrine , with their characteristic marble terrace seating dotted with keyhole - shaped scuttle . The seats were n’t always lapidate , however . There were wooden can backside as well , but the organic textile decayed , leaving behind only the rock or brick structure . But last twelvemonth , archaeologistsunearthed the first Roman bathroom fundament made of woodperfectly bear on in the waterlogged grunge of the Roman fortress of Vindolanda .
Vindolanda , a fortress and settlement in Northumberland just in the south of Hadrian ’s Wall , has been anunparalleled source of artifactsilluminating day-to-day lifetime in this remote outpost of the Roman Empire start with the first timber fort built in the late 1st C ( around 85 A.D. ) . Its anaerobiotic ground has preserved organic material like letters write on wood , leather sandals , and textiles .
The wooden toilet nates was find out by Dr. Andrew Birley , conductor of excavation , in a pre - Hadrianic trash wad from the last fort built on the land site before the structure of Hadrian ’s Wall in around 122 A.D. That was the 5th timber fort build up at Vindolanda after the demolition of the old one in 105 A.D. , so the toilet posterior could have been in use for almost two 10 .
That ’s a long time for a piece of Grant Wood to do such hard duty , and there ’s no way of knowing how long it was in use — but there is a corking deal of wear around the curtain raising . The ass groove , if I may take over from that gravid neologist Homer Simpson , indicate the bottom was very soundly used before being dispose . accord to a press release ,
Next on the Vindolanda team ’s gutter - related wishlist is atersorium , a stick topped with a natural sponge that was used to clean house the business orbit after defecation . This was a communal gimmick , make clean in a gutter of die hard water in front of the latrine and left in a bucketful of acetum for the next guy .
Conservation on the toilet seat is slat to take 18 calendar month . It must be done lento so the wood wo n’t dry out and become brickle . Once it ’s stabilized , it will go on display at the site’sRoman Army Museum , where it will doubtless draw crowd because gutter and their use are endlessly fascinating theme to humans in every era .
Tosca and Willoughby , makers of very upmarket usance throne seats for the discerning and well - moneyed butt , pledged to create a special variation of their luxuryThunderboxline of wooden toilet bum anddonate some of the proceeds to the Vindolanda Trustto avail defray the price of preservation . " We are absolutely hypnotised by the discovery of a perfectly - preserved ancient loo keister , " James Williams , the Director of Tosca and Willoughby , told Culture24 . " As our own seats are handcraft , we look up to the R.C. craft which , in this case , has sure enough stood the test of time . "
