An archaeological find of incalculable value: it preserves texts written more than 7 centuries ago

Sometimes, valuable things are found in the least expected corners. During an archaeological excavation, it is natural to expect a major discovery in the main rooms of a building. Yet latrines can contain unexpected finds of great value to archaeologists. That is exactly what happened in a recent excavation in the German city of Paderborn, in an operation led by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL).

Buried underground, archaeologists found a medieval notebook in an excellent state of preservation. The piece has been dated to between the 13th and 14th centuries, and was discovered during construction work on a new administrative building in the city’s historic center. The notebook is made up of wax tablets and protected by a leather binding and wooden covers.

“This is the only find of its kind in all of North Rhine-Westphalia. It may sound strange, but for us archaeologists, latrines are almost always a treasure trove. Similar medieval artifacts are also known from Lübeck and Lüneburg, where an equally damp soil environment preserved the finds,” explains Dr. Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger, head of cultural affairs at the University Library of Westphalia (LWL). Although comparable tablets have been found in those cities, none had appeared so complete.

The document measures only a few inches and preserves 10 of its pages, all written on both sides except the first and last, which were used as covers. The text engraved into the wax was made with a stylus, a pointed instrument that allowed people to write and then erase the content by smoothing the surface. It was, in effect, a reusable notebook from the Middle Ages.

In perfect condition after hundreds of years

Despite spending more than 700 years underground, the damp, airtight environment of the latrine allowed it to survive in good condition. Its writing, in Latin and in different orientations, is still legible. According to experts, it may have belonged to a merchant of some social standing, who could have used the notebook to record business transactions or personal notes.

“After careful restoration by LWL experts, it may be possible to fully read the difficult-to-decipher text again using high-tech methods,” the expert added. One of the big questions is how it ended up there. For now, there is no answer. “It could have fallen in by accident,” archaeologist Sveva Gai suggested.

The investigation is now focused on transcribing the text, which will not be easy, as some words may contain spelling mistakes. Work is also under way to identify the notebook’s materials, including the composition of the wax and any pigments and resins used in its manufacture. The aim is to determine its origin. “Our priority is to analyze the materials used. The wood and the wax, in particular, must be examined using scientific methods.”

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