Archaeologists excavating a group of medieval latrines in the German city of Paderborn have uncovered an unexpected treasure: a remarkably well-preserved notebook dating back to the 13th or 14th century. Found inside a leather case at the bottom of an 800-year-old toilet pit.
The discovery was made during excavations ahead of the construction of a new city administration building near the Abdinghof monastery in Paderborn. The work, carried out by archaeologists from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL), uncovered five medieval latrines packed with objects discarded centuries ago.
While ancient toilets might not sound like the most appealing places to dig, they are often a goldmine for archaeologists. The damp, oxygen-poor conditions can preserve materials that would normally disappear over time. In this case, those conditions helped protect a notebook, textiles, baskets, and other items that provide a snapshot of daily life in the Middle Ages.
A Notebook Lost for 800 Years
The standout find is a small notebookdating from the 13th or 14th century. It contains ten pages, eight of them written on both sides, and was found inside a leather carrying case that has survived in surprisingly good condition.
in a translated statement, the LWL reported that the notebook was recovered from a “wet lump of earth.” Restorer Susanne Bretzel said the object still had an “unpleasant smell” despite spending hundreds of years underground. Even more surprising, the inside of the leather case was completely free of dirt.
The pages were coated with wax, allowing the owner to write using a stylus made from metal, ivory, or bone. The text is written incursive Latin, but reading it has not been easy. The author wrote in different directions and sometimes directly over earlier text. Barbara Ruschoff-Parzingerof the LWL Culture Department said that:
“The text is not easy to decipher, even for experts in the field. Individual words are recognizable, but the transcription will take some time, as some words may have been corrupted by incorrect spellings.”
She added that specialists hopemodern imaging techniques will eventually make the entire text readable. While written notes have been found in latrines before, the discovery of a complete notebook is something entirely different.
Who Owned It?
Researchers are now trying to figure out who wrote the notebook and why it ended up in a latrine. For Sveva Gai, Paderborn’s city archaeologist, one possibility is that it belonged to a local merchant.
“Who wrote the book and what purpose did it serve? Initial assumptions suggest that a Paderborn merchant may have been the author, jotting down business transactions and recording his thoughts in note form,” she noted.”Merchants were educated people: Unlike most people, they could both read and write.”
The use of Latin points to someone with a relatively high level of education. Archaeologists say the language was generally associated with educated and privileged circles during the period. Historical records also show that wealthy residents once lived in the center of Paderborn, where the excavation took place.
The notebook’s leather case adds another clue. Decorated with rows of embossed fleur-de-lis motifs, it appears to have been a quality item rather than an everyday object. Researchers involved in the excavation noted that the lily symbol was associated with purity, royal power, and divine favor during the Middle Ages.
Silk Scraps, Pottery, And Traces Of Daily Life
The notebook was not the only interesting object recovered from the medieval toilets. Archaeologists also found barrels, pottery, wicker baskets, and a knife. Among the more unusual discoveries were fragments of silk fabric.
Bretzel explained that some pieces had been torn into rectangular strips, while others were finely woven and decorated. She suggested that the fabric may have been reused as toilet paper before being discarded.
The silk fragments fit with the broader picture emerging from the excavation. Alongside the notebook and its decorative case, they suggest that at least some of the people living in this part of Paderborn had access to luxury goods.
For now, researchers hope that once the text can be fully deciphered, it may reveal more about its owner and offer a closer look at life in medieval Westphalia.
