800-year-old medieval notebook found preserved in German latrine

The notebook dates from the 13th or 14th century. PIC COURTESY/S Brentfuhrer

A medieval notebook believed to have belonged to a local merchant surfaced unscathed, miraculously, as a wet lump of dirt in a latrine, or toilet, in Paderborn, Germany.

Once archaeologists penetrated the repulsive outer layer, they discovered a real treasure. They discovered that the damp, airtight soil had preserved a medieval ten-page notebook with text still legible.

Hailed as "one of the most unusual medieval discoveries in the region," beyond its exceptional state of preservation, archaeologists expect to find valuable insights into everyday life and living conditions in medieval Westphalia. The 800-year-old notebook, bound in leather, wood, and wax, measured approximately 3.94 x 2.95 inches.

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