7 Ordinary Things That Have Changed Immensely Through History

Toilets

People who were born recently or those who live in the heart of urbanism in the big cities do not know another variant of the toilet than it is today. Well, for those who don’t know, a few decades ago, toilets were totally uncomfortable or literally a source of bacteria (unfortunately, they are still found in some rural areas of certain countries).

In Rome during 315 AD, toilets were made of wooden seats with holes dug in the ground (as you can see in the photo on the left). They were a source of bacteria because there was no system to cleanse human physiological secretions, so they were absorbed into the ground.

The squat toilets were also famous and not only were they a favorable place for diseases and germs and very uncomfortable, but they were also very dangerous (as you can see in the photo on the right). For example, they dug a hole a few feet in the ground, covered it with wood and left a small hole there to drain the excrement. If that wooden system broke, you could drown in human excrement.

As I said before, these types of toilets are still common in some poor countries, especially in rural areas where people don’t have a water pipe installation or a water tank. So, they have to opt for these types of toilets in their backyard.