The tersorium (“a wiping thing”) was the Ancient Roman butt-wiping tool of choice. After relieving themselves at the public toilets, the Romans would use sea sponges on sticks (the tersoria) to clean themselves; they would dip the tersoria in a gutter at the foot of the public toilets — which continuously flowed with clean running water — before wiping. It was unknown how they stored and cleaned these tersoria, or if they were for public use, but they have been connected to the quick spread of intestinal diseases and parasites. Read full article here
Research
Researcher uses AI to make texts that are thousands of years old readable
The Gilgamesh Epic, the oldest work of world literature, has been brought back to life by LMU researchers in the Electronic Babylonian Literature project. Using their new Fragmentarium tool, they have discovered hundreds of manuscripts, including the most recent tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic which dates from 130 BC – thousands of years after the earliest known version. This shows how highly valued the Epic was, even at a late period. With the public release of the Fragmentarium, anyone can now explore the thousands of cuneiform fragments and explore the ancient Babylonian literature. Read full article here
Merv
March 12, 2023
