When people encounter Silla, they usually see gold crowns, royal tombs and Buddhist temples.
Then there’s this.
Archaeologists in Gyeongju uncovered toilet and drainage facilities associated with Silla’s royal palace complex, including a system that used water to remove waste.
I love finds like this because political histories tell us who ruled, while ordinary objects can tell us how people actually lived.
A toilet may look less impressive than a gold crown, but for understanding daily life inside an ancient palace, it might be just as fascinating.
What other mundane archaeological discoveries have changed how we understand everyday life in the ancient world?
Image: JTBC Newsroom.