Archaeologists digging beneath the German city of Paderborn expected to find medieval waste pits. As Daily Galaxy reports, though, they did not expect one of those 800-year-old latrines to yield a notebook so well preserved that it reportedly still reeked.

The small writing tablet, discovered in a leather case at the bottom of the pit, is now offering researchers a rare glimpse into everyday life in the Middle Ages.

What happened?

The dig took place ahead of construction on a new city administration building near Paderborn's Abdinghof monastery, per Daily Galaxy. According to a translated statement from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe, or LWL, archaeologists uncovered five medieval latrines containing objects discarded centuries ago.

Among the finds, a notebook from the 13th or 14th century stood out. It has 10 pages, with eight of them containing writing on both sides. It was stored inside a leather carrying case that survived in remarkably good condition, according to the outlet. 

The LWL said the notebook emerged from a "wet lump of earth." Restorer Susanne Bretzel said the object still had an "unpleasant smell" after centuries underground. The inside of the leather case was completely clean, per the researchers.

The wax-coated pages suggest the owner likely wrote on them with a stylus made of metal, bone, or ivory. The text is in cursive Latin, though experts said it is difficult to read because the writing runs in different directions and sometimes overlaps earlier text.

"The text is not easy to decipher, even for experts in the field," Barbara Ruschoff-Parzinger of the LWL Culture Department said, per Daily Galaxy. "Individual words are recognizable, but the transcription will take some time, as some words may have been corrupted by incorrect spellings."

Why does it matter?

As unglamorous as they sound, ancient latrines can be among archaeology's most valuable sites. Their damp, oxygen-poor conditions can preserve fragile materials such as leather, textiles, and wax tablets that would otherwise decay and disappear.

Written scraps have turned up in latrines before, but a nearly complete notebook is far rarer, Daily Galaxy noted. Researchers said it could help illuminate life in medieval Westphalia.

The broader excavation suggests that people living in this part of Paderborn may have had access to wealth and luxury goods, per Daily Galaxy. Archaeologists recovered silk fragments, pottery, wicker baskets, barrels, and a knife. 

Researchers are now trying to determine who owned the notebook and how it ended up in a latrine. As Daily Galaxy shared, one early theory is that it may have belonged to a merchant. That'd be someone educated enough to read and write Latin.

The leather case is decorated with embossed fleur-de-lis motifs, a symbol researchers said was associated in the Middle Ages with purity, royal authority, and divine favor. It was not a cheap everyday item, Daily Galaxy suggested.

What's being done?

Specialists are also using restoration methods and hoping modern imaging tools can make the text more legible. 

The excavation continues to build a fuller picture of medieval urban life.

"Who wrote the book and what purpose did it serve?" Paderborn's city archaeologist Sveva Gai asked, according to Daily Galaxy. "Initial assumptions suggest that a Paderborn merchant may have been the author, jotting down business transactions and recording his thoughts in note form."

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