IARC 475 | Solmaz Kive
Ancient
+ Traditional
Toilets
toi·let
/toilit/
noun
A fixed receptacle into which a person may urinate or defecate, typically consisting of a
large bowl connected to a system for flushing away the waste into a sewer or septic tank.
an·cient
/an(t)Shint/
adjective
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence.
tra·di·tion·al
/trudiSH(i)n(u)l/
adjective
Existing in or as part of a tradition; long-established.
Learn more about Ancient + Traditional Toilets
Ancient Toilets and Toilet Habits
Toilet and restroom habits/etiquette looked quite differently in the past times than they do today. Today we are expected to follow certain rules while in use of a toilet. Some toilets appear more “high-tech,” encouraging one to flush to one side to use less water, or to flush to the other side, for heavier load purposes. In ancient times, flushing one’s business was not the norm. Toilets at the time, appeared as communal benches with holes to bucket-like containers with a small seating section which were referred as chamber pots.
Ancient Toilet Systems
Toilet practice has a very close correlation to people’s everyday living no matter what time period one is in. Analyzing a bathroom and its characteristics can tell how life, societal norms, religious values, and habits were in whichever time they were built. Overtime, the subject of using the restroom became taboo and those who even spoke of it would be ostracized socially and deemed strange. Slowly, societies started to prioritize keeping their environments clean instead of throwing their waste and defecation out in the open. This journal focuses on the development of toilets and flushing systems in India. They were one of the first civilizations to create flushing technology for their waste.
Evolution of Toilets Worldwide through the Millennia
This article focuses on the development of the toilet throughout history starting in ancient times. The article focuses on many early inventions of the latrine in Mesopotamia and the early Empires. Then focusing on the developing fundamentals of the Medieval European Practices in central
and northern Europe where the latrine starts to become a more prominent feature of interior architecture. Moving on to similar innovations in Medieval Muslim Spain demonstrating Ottoman lavatory practices. Consequently touching on lavatory progress in late Chinese Dynasties where they showcase different approaches to latrine uses.
Finally discussing the advancements in latrine innovation in modern times, showing future trends and what becomes known as the main
inspiration for the modern-day toilets we see now.
EVOLUTION OF TOILETS THROUGH THE MILLENNIA
Ancient Mesopotamia (Fourth -Second Millennium BC): Ancient Mesopotamians discarded their waste in two main ways, one by burying waste after defecation (cesspits), and
the other through some form of canals/pipes (Antoniou, 3)
Another popular method was the permeability of streets – this
was used when canals were not an option. Solid waste was problematic when the cesspits were close to rainwater collection sites, because there was risk of contamination. There were two forms of toilets, “squat’ and “seat” types, which are
self-explanatory. The squat method is still very common in the Middle East to this day.
The Timeline
Which is where?
Check it out.
See where ancient toilets appeared.
hey your layout looks awesome, but just thought you should know that the links to the individual post do not work.