Ancient toilet discovered in Scottish castle

Scottish castle
Posted January 1, 1970
by Erin Powell
Archaeologists working at 700-year-old Drum Castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, discovered an ancient toilet inside a hidden chamber within one of the structure’s towers.
“We were surprised that when we carefully unblocked the windows and peered in, and through the dim light of a torch and the mists of dust and trapped for centuries, to find a perfectly preserved medieval chamber, complete with the remains of the guarderobe (toilet) including the remains of the original toilet seat and the original entrance doorway for the medieval hall,” said Dr. Jonathan Clark from FAS Heritage, a company that does consulting for conservation planning and investigative archaeology of historic buildings.
The discovery will help add to the knowledge of how the interior of the castle was used and give archaeologists a deeper picture of what life was like during medieval times.
Erin Powell is a World Footprints contributor and Master’s Candidate at American University where she studies international media and works as a graduate research assistant. She has previously worked for the Department of State, Prince William Business Magazine and George Mason University’s Office of Student Media. Erin regularly volunteers with the Washington Humane Society and loves yoga, hiking and the ukulele. Follow Erin @erinrenee_.