Archaeologists have unearthed two large buildings among the ruins of a palace in the city of Yueyang in southeast China. The buildings
Among the finds is a partially preserved toilet bowl withflush design, which is the oldest example of the use of such technologies. The ancient find consists of two parts: an internal toilet on the platform and a system of pipes below it that drains sewage to the outside. Archaeologists believe that the cistern was manually filled by servants before use.
An ancient toilet bowl found at the excavations. Photo: China.org.cn news agency
Researchers note that this is the onlytoilet found on the archaeological site and apparently only used by high-ranking occupants of the palace. Scientists note that although the upper part of this engineering structure has not been preserved, all signs indicate the use of a drainage mechanism. This is a fairly advanced invention for its time, they add.
On the territory of the modern city of Yueyang onFor 30 years, the first capital of the ancient Chinese state of the Qin Dynasty was located. Later, the central government moved to the city of Xianyang. The analysis of palace buildings in Yueyang shows the principles of urban planning and social life at the earliest stages of the formation of a centralized Chinese state.
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On the cover: excavations of the palace complex in Yueyang. Photo: Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Xinhua News Agency