A 700-Year-Old Wax Notebook Emerges From a Paderborn Latrine, Still Legible
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.
