Toilets Through Time — How Toilets Have Evolved Since The Dawn Of Society

The humble toilet has been a mainstay of human existence since … well since there have been humans who needed a place to do their business.

But have you ever wondered what old school toilets looked like? Spoiler: they started as basic holes in the ground and evolved into the porcelain beauties that we know and love today.

Come with us as we take a journey of the toilet over the millennia.

1. Roman Latrine

Berthold Werner / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

2. Medieval Stone Toilet Seat And Lid

Tim Jankowski / Flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0

3. Pompeii Toilet

Takver / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

4. Ancient French Toilet

 Stephane Mignon / Flickr / CC-BY 2.0

5. 8th Century BC Stone Toilet

 Ian W Scott / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

6. 14th Century BC Egyptian Toilet Seat

Dmitry Denisenkov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

7. 15th-16th Century AD Home Commode

Berit Watkin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

8. Semi-Private Floor Lavatory

SuSanA Secretariat Follow / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

9. Hole In The Ground Toilet Circa 18th Century

Wolfgang Sauber / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

10. 17th Century AD Bed Pan

Peter van der Sluijs / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

11. Old Korean Pit Commode

Brendon Connelly / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

12. Old School Bedside Toilet

Sarah Stierch / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

13. Velvet And Wood Covered Toilet Box

Ed Bierman / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

14. 19th Century AD Lavatory Chair

H. Zell / Wikimedia Commons / CC. BY-SA 3.0

15. Throne-Style Toilet

Nick Webb / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

16. 19th Century AD Urinal

theopie / Flickr / CC-BY 2.0

17. Historic Pull-Chain Toilet

kgbo / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

18. Modern French Squatter Toilet

Mintguy / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

19. Modern Berlin Toilet

Erik Albers / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain