A Brief History of Toilets

While you're not likely to study the history of toilets in school, the story of what we don't normally talk about logically follows what we already know about historical eras. Public sanitation systems were sophisticated (if weird) during the Roman Empire, but were lost during the Dark Ages. Later developments led to better hygiene, but only for communities that could afford it, leading to global inequalities that continue today. By the way, this TED-Ed video shows cartoon defecation, in case that bothers you.