800-year-old notebook found well-preserved in medieval toilet

800-year-old notebook found well-preserved in medieval toilet

A medieval notebook believed to have belonged to a local merchant surfaced unscathed, miraculously, as a wet lump of dirt in a latrine, or toilet, in Paderborn, Germany. At first, the object that surfaced was inconspicuous, packed in a wet clod of earth. Archaeologists described the odor to be “rather unpleasant.” Once they penetrated the repulsive outer layer, however, they discovered a real treasure — bringing to mind the Buddhist saying that …

Medieval Notebook Discovered in German Latrine

Archaeologists in Germany have uncovered a rare medieval notebook in a Paderborn latrine, preserving 700-year-old wax tablet writings that may reveal the life of a medieval merchant.