A 700-Year-Old Wax Notebook Emerges From a Paderborn Latrine, Still Legible
TL;DR Summary
Archaeologists in Paderborn unearthed an exceptionally well-preserved 700–800-year-old leather notebook from a latrine. The tiny book uses wax-coated pages that could be etched and erased, making it a reusable record-keeping tool likely owned by a privileged 13th–14th-century individual, perhaps a merchant. The find came with silk scraps thought to be toilet paper, and researchers plan noninvasive scans to read its Latin contents, which promise insights into medieval life and writing practices.
- Someone Dropped This Notebook in a Medieval Toilet 700 Years Ago—and It’s Still Legible Gizmodo
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- From a Medieval Latrine in Germany, Archaeologists Extracted a Pristine Leather Notebook That Preserved Latin Cursive for Centuries Smithsonian Magazine
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