Someone Dropped This Notebook in a Medieval Toilet 700 Years Ago—and It’s Still Legible
Archaeologists in Paderborn, Germany, have discovered a well-preserved medieval notebook in a latrine dating back 700 to 800 years. The notebook, measuring just 4 x 3 inches, features wax-coated pages that allowed for rewriting, and it was found alongside silk scraps believed to have been used as toilet paper. The writing, etched in Latin, suggests the owner was likely of upper-class status, possibly a merchant recording transactions.
- ▪The notebook was discovered during construction work for a new administrative building in Paderborn.
- ▪It features ten pages coated in wax, allowing for notes to be written and erased.
- ▪The writing appears to be in Latin, indicating an upper-class owner, likely a merchant.
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| Original publisher | Gizmodo |
| Canonical URL | https://gizmodo.com/someone-dropped-this-notebook-in-a-medieval-toilet-700-years-ago-and-its-still-legible-2000760688 |
| Publication time | Tue, 19 May 2026 17:35:54 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-19T17:39:57.876Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-19T17:39:57.876Z |
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Ever drop your smartphone in the toilet while trying to add an important date to your calendar or a crucial reminder to your to-do list? Well, you’re not alone. Something similar seems to have happened in medieval Germany to an apparently wealthy resident of the city of Paderborn.cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"92b7b46b-43ed-4e0e-b21b-2c999302d9d7","settings":{"advertising":{"macros":{"AD_UNIT":"/23178111854/od.gizmodo.com/article","CHILD_UNIT":"article","POST_ID":"2000760688","POST_TYPE":"post","CHANNEL":"science","SECTION":"human-history","SUBSECTION":"","CATEGORIES":"human-history","TAGS":"archaeology,germany,medieval-history,poop","NOP":"0"},"timeBeforeFirstAd":0}}}).render("cnx-player-main")}); Archaeologists working in coordination with construction crews preparing a new…
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