Archaeologists in South Korea have found a 1,300-year-old flush toilet system in the ruins of the Donggung Palace complex. This discovery sheds light on how people handled sanitation during the Unified Silla period. Kim Gyeong Yeol from the Korean Heritage Service led this project. Experts call this the first find of its kind in Korea. It gives us a rare look at the advanced hygiene facilities used by the Silla Kingdom’s royal elite.
A 1,300-year-old flush toilet discovered in Korea. PH๏τo courtesy of the Cultural Heritage Administration
The team discovered several flush toilets at Donggung Palace, but one stood out. They think the crown prince and his closest attendants used this special toilet. It had a drainage system that directed waste straight into a nearby river.
This ancient toilet system didn’t work like modern flush toilets. It required people to pour water by hand to push waste through pipes under the ground. Servants likely performed this task to make sure waste was properly removed. The toilet had a finely carved granite seat with a central hole. It also had stepping stones for foot placement, showing a level of comfort and sophistication in an old bathroom.
This find highlights the importance of sanitation in the Silla Kingdom. They ruled a big part of the Korean Peninsula from 668 to 935 CE. The fact that this elaborate toilet was in the palace suggests that access to proper hygiene was reserved for the upper echelons of society. Other toilets found outside the palace were more like traditional outhouses. They just stored waste rather than flushing it away.
“The toilet that directly discharges it into the river seems to have a hierarchical meaning,” Kim told Live Science. This difference highlights the social structure of the time, where only the most privileged individuals had access to advanced sanitary solutions.
Historical records also support the fact that toilets existed in Korea during the Silla era. The Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), a book from the 13th century, mentions a toilet on royal grounds as far back as 767 CE when King Hyegong ruled. Evidence of similar toilets with seats made of granite and stepping stones has been found at religious sites such as Bulguksa Temple and Hwangnyongsa Temple.
This flush toilet system was the first known one in Korea, but other ancient civilizations came up with similar ways to deal with waste. The Indus Valley Civilization (2600–1900 BCE), in what’s now Pakistan, had cities with flush toilets connected to underground sewage systems. In England, Sir John Harrington made a flushing toilet for Queen Elizabeth I in 1596. But it didn’t have a proper S-bend to block odors.
Despite the growing recognition of ancient sanitation practices, studies on ancient toilets in Korea are still underdeveloped. By examining organic residues and microorganisms in ancient waste deposits, scientists can learn a lot about the diets, diseases, and overall well-being of past populations.
More information: Korea Heritage Service
