Toilets from Ancient Times

Pictures of ancient public toilets tend to confuse westerners, who assume that they were used in the sitting position. This impression is often reinforced by the pose of a comical tourist.

But, in reality, these are squat toilets.

They are elevated, not for sitting, but because there is an open sewer underneath. The cutouts in the vertical wall allow people to clean themselves with water, which is done from the front when squatting.

Above photo courtesy of Toilets of the World

The gentleman at right might be surprised to learn that, except for royalty and the disabled, everyone used the squatting position until the second half of the 19th century.