Public Toilets Throughout History & Why You Need to Know

Our civilization has certainly come a long way from chamber pots and outhouses. Today we have luxurious and technically advanced toilets that do almost everything for you, including cleaning up. Private and public toilets, and “bathrooms” in general have always been an important aspect of various civilizations and cultures. In one way or another, the public toilet is linked to the health and successful growth of many communities throughout history.

Who Developed the First Toilet?

It’s pretty easy to assume that before toilets, and even before outhouses, that people would just pop a squat in the street and “go” wherever they pleased. While this may have been true for many travelers on the road, most of the customs required people to be much more civilized and respectful, especially in the bustling communities that relied on trade and travel for survival. The recognition of the first toilet goes to the Scots back in 3000 BC. Communal toilets were found in a Neolithic settlement. Much further south, the Greeks of 1700 BC constructed the Palace of Knossos with large clay-like pans connected to a runoff water supply.

Most of the toilets and bathing for the next few millennia were public, and privacy was not a luxury most people enjoyed unless they were a part of the higher classes or lived away from the cities.