
The Evolution of Toilets and Plumbing in Ancient Greece
Greek plumbing has seemingly gone downhill since Minoan times, when flush toilets were developed in about 2000 b.c.e. and employed at the Palace of Knossos. There’s no record of what the Minoans used in terms of toilet wipes, but the modern Greek plumbing system is – or believes itself to be – incapable of handling toilet paper. Yes, you read that right. The Greek method is to do your business in the toilet but to put the paper in the wastebasket located nearby. This sounds far worse than it is in practice, but it is still unnerving for many travelers used to flushing toilet paper down, um, the toilet. If you forget, don’t fish it out; for the sake of your hotel keeper or restaurateur, try to remember to throw it in the wastebasket.