Excavations were carried out in connection with the construction of a new administrative building in the city of Paderborn in North Rhine-Westphalia. During the work, archaeologists under the supervision of the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) discovered the notebook in one of five exposed medieval latrines.
Dr Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger, LWL’s Director of Culture, stresses that this is a unique find and adds: "Unusual as it may sound, latrines are often extremely rich sources of material for archaeologists."
The object, around 700 to 800 years old, measures just 10 by 7.5 centimetres. It consists of wooden tablets coated with wax, protected by a leather cover embossed with lily motifs. In the Middle Ages, notes could be scratched into the wax layer with a stylus, then erased and overwritten later.
The notebook comprises ten pages, eight of which are inscribed on both sides. According to the archaeologists, the text is written in Latin and appears to be the work of a single hand.
In the Middle Ages, the centre of Paderborn was home mainly to wealthy citizens and merchants. Traders were among the few members of medieval society who could read and write.
Silk probably used as toilet paper
Another indication of the latrine users’ social status is fragments of silk fabric that may have been used as toilet paper.
Paradoxically, the notebook owes its remarkable state of preservation to the place where it was discarded. The latrine’s sealed, damp and oxygen-poor environment prevented the organic materials from decaying.
LWL conservator Susanne Bretzel reported that the find initially appeared inconspicuous: "Enclosed in a clump of wet soil and barely recognisable at first, the object only became visible during cleaning in our restoration workshop in Münster," she said. "Even after so many centuries in the ground, the latrine find still smelled distinctly unpleasant."
The pages inside were tightly compressed, which protected the wax layers from dirt and distortion. According to Bretzel, the wooden tablets have not warped, so the writing remains clearly legible.
Conservation work is expected to take up to a year. Scientists are currently examining the materials used in the object, including the wax, possible resin components, pigments and types of wood. Until the analyses are complete, the organic components will be stored in distilled water.
Once the analysis is finished, the researchers plan to decipher the contents of the notes.
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