Rare medieval notebook found in Paderborn latrine
Archaeologists have uncovered a medieval notebook in a former latrine in Paderborn. The well-preserved leather, wood and wax find may shed light on daily life in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Published on 21/06/2026 - 12:30 GMT+2•Updated 17:34
Excavations were carried out in connection with the construction of a new administrative building in Paderborn, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. During the work, archaeologists under the supervision of the regional authority Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) discovered the notebook in one of five exposed medieval latrines.
Dr Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger, the LWL's head of culture, stresses that this is a unique find: "Although it may sound unusual, latrines are often extremely productive sites for archaeologists."
The roughly 700- to 800-year-old object measures just 10 by 7.5 centimetres. It consists of wooden tablets coated with wax, protected by a leather binding embossed with lily motifs. In the Middle Ages, a stylus could be used to scratch notes into the wax layer, which could then be erased and written over again.
The notebook comprises ten pages, eight of which are written on both sides. According to the archaeologists, the text is in Latin and appears to have been written by a single hand.
In the Middle Ages, the centre of Paderborn was home mainly to wealthy citizens and merchants. At that time, traders were among the few members of medieval society who could read and write.
Silk probably used as toilet paper
Another clue to the social status of the users of the latrine comes from fragments of silk fabric, which were possibly used as toilet paper.
Paradoxically, the notebook owes its remarkable state of preservation to the place where it was thrown away. The latrine's sealed, damp and low-oxygen environment prevented the organic materials from decaying.
LWL restorer Susanne Bretzel reported that the find initially seemed unremarkable: "Enclosed in a clump of wet earth 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 pressed together, which protected the wax layers from dirt and deformation. According to Bretzel, the wooden tablets have not warped, so the writing is still easy to read.
The conservation work is expected to take up to a year. Researchers are currently analysing 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 are being stored in distilled water.
The researchers plan to decipher the contents of the notes once the analysis has been completed.
