Archaeologists in Germany have uncovered a rare medieval notebook from a latrine in the city of Paderborn, offering what researchers hope will become an extraordinary glimpse into everyday life in the 13th and 14th centuries. The remarkably well-preserved object, made of leather, wood, and wax, may once have belonged to a wealthy merchant who used it to record transactions and personal notes.
The discovery was made during excavations connected to the construction of a new city administration building in Paderborn, a city in western Germany. Archaeologists working under the supervision of the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association (LWL) recovered the notebook from one of five medieval latrines uncovered at the site. “This is the only such find in all of North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Dr. Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger, LWL’s Head of Cultural Affairs. “It sounds strange, but for us archaeologists, latrines are almost always a treasure trove.”
The notebook dates from roughly 700 to 800 years ago. Measuring just 10 by 7.5 centimetres, it consists of wooden tablets coated in wax and enclosed within a leather binding decorated with embossed lily motifs. Medieval writers used a stylus to scratch text into the wax surface, and the writing could later be erased and reused.
A Medieval Wax Tablet Notebook
The small notebook dates from the 13th or 14th century. Photo: LWL/ S. Brentführer
The notebook contains ten pages, eight of them written on both sides. According to the archaeologists, the text was written in Latin and appears to come from a single hand. The script runs in two directions, depending on how the book was held, suggesting that it was used informally for quick notes.
Dr. Sveva Gai, the LWL city archaeologist in Paderborn, believes the notebook may have belonged to a merchant “Who wrote the book and what purpose did it serve?” she asked. “Initial assumptions suggest that a Paderborn merchant may have been the author, jotting down business transactions and recording his thoughts in note form.”
The medieval wax tablet book, shown from the outside, made of wood, without a leather binding. Photo: LWL/ S. Brentführer
That theory fits with the location of the find. During the Middle Ages, the centre of Paderborn was home to wealthy urban residents and merchants rather than nobles. Merchants, Gai noted, were among the few people in medieval society who could both read and write.
The notebook’s survival is especially remarkable because wax tablets were designed to be temporary. Older writing could be smoothed away with the flat end of the stylus and replaced with new text. Yet traces of earlier inscriptions still remain visible beneath the most recent layer of writing. Researchers hope modern imaging techniques will eventually allow them to separate and decipher these overlapping layers of text.
Preserved by the Latrine
The medieval latrine, half-excavated. Photo: Denkmal3d, Heike Tausendfreund
Ironically, the notebook owes its preservation to the very place where it was discarded. The sealed, damp, and oxygen-poor environment of the latrine prevented the organic materials from decaying.
LWL conservator Susanne Bretzel explained that the find at first appeared unimpressive. “Packed in a wet clod of earth—and initially quite inconspicuous—the object only became clear during cleaning in our restoration workshop in Münster,” she said. “And indeed, even after so many centuries in the ground, the latrine find still had a rather unpleasant odor.”
The inner pages remained tightly bound together, protecting the wax surfaces from dirt and distortion. According to Bretzel, the wooden tablets had not warped, allowing the writing to remain clearly legible.
The conservation process is expected to take up to a year. Researchers are currently studying the materials used in the object, including the type of wax, resin mixture, pigments, and wood species involved in its construction. Until testing is complete, the leather and wood components are being stored in distilled water.
Clues to Medieval Daily Life
The high-quality fabric scraps were also found in the latrine. Photo: LWL/ S. Bretzel
Beyond the notebook itself, the latrine contained numerous other medieval artefacts, including barrels, knives, pottery, basketry remains, and fragments of silk fabric.
One particularly intriguing possibility concerns the silk scraps recovered from the latrine. Conservators noted that some of the finely woven textiles had been cut into rectangular pieces, possibly for reuse as toilet paper after the luxurious fabric had worn out.
The notebook’s decorative leather cover also hints at its owner’s social standing. The embossed lily motifs carried strong symbolic associations in the Middle Ages, representing purity, royal authority, and divine favour.
Leather binding in which the wax tablet book was found. Photo: LWL/ S. Bretzel
Researchers are now hoping to connect the find to a specific household. Once archaeologists determine which medieval property the latrine belonged to, archival research may reveal the names of its former residents.
“As soon as this latrine can be assigned to a specific plot of land,” Gai explained, “archival research could be used to try to identify the residents of that plot. Then, in the best-case scenario, it would be possible to link the wax tablet to the name of a specific person.”
Deciphering the Text
At the press conference in the LWL Archaeology restoration workshop, the following individuals were available to answer questions (from left to right): LWL conservator Susanne Bretzel, LWL chief archaeologist Dr. Sandra Peternek, Paderborn city archaeologist Dr. Sveva Gai, LWL cultural affairs officer Dr. Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger, and Dr. Birgit Münz-Vierboom, head of central services at LWL-AfW. Photo: LWL Archaeology for Westphalia/E. Daood
Reading the notebook will not be easy. According to the archaeologists, the cursive Latin script is difficult even for specialists to interpret. “The text is not easy to decipher, even for experts in the field,” said Rüschoff-Parzinger. “Individual words are recognizable, but the transcription will take some time, as some words may have been corrupted by incorrect spellings.”
Once the transcription is complete, the text will be translated from Latin into German. Researchers hope it may shed light on commerce, literacy, and personal record-keeping in medieval Westphalia.
The notebook is eventually expected to go on display at the LWL Museum in the Imperial Palace in Paderborn, where visitors may one day see one of the most unusual and informative medieval discoveries made in Germany in recent years.
The medieval text is currently being transcribed and will subsequently be translated from Latin into German. Photo: LWL/ S. Brentführer
Top Image: Conservator Susanne Bretzel holds the wax booklet up to the camera. Photo: LWL Archaeology for Westphalia/E. Daood
Archaeologists in Germany have uncovered a rare medieval notebook from a latrine in the city of Paderborn, offering what researchers hope will become an extraordinary glimpse into everyday life in the 13th and 14th centuries. The remarkably well-preserved object, made of leather, wood, and wax, may once have belonged to a wealthy merchant who used it to record transactions and personal notes.
The discovery was made during excavations connected to the construction of a new city administration building in Paderborn, a city in western Germany. Archaeologists working under the supervision of the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association (LWL) recovered the notebook from one of five medieval latrines uncovered at the site. “This is the only such find in all of North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Dr. Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger, LWL’s Head of Cultural Affairs. “It sounds strange, but for us archaeologists, latrines are almost always a treasure trove.”
The notebook dates from roughly 700 to 800 years ago. Measuring just 10 by 7.5 centimetres, it consists of wooden tablets coated in wax and enclosed within a leather binding decorated with embossed lily motifs. Medieval writers used a stylus to scratch text into the wax surface, and the writing could later be erased and reused.
A Medieval Wax Tablet Notebook
The notebook contains ten pages, eight of them written on both sides. According to the archaeologists, the text was written in Latin and appears to come from a single hand. The script runs in two directions, depending on how the book was held, suggesting that it was used informally for quick notes.
Dr. Sveva Gai, the LWL city archaeologist in Paderborn, believes the notebook may have belonged to a merchant “Who wrote the book and what purpose did it serve?” she asked. “Initial assumptions suggest that a Paderborn merchant may have been the author, jotting down business transactions and recording his thoughts in note form.”
Photo: LWL/ S. Brentführer
That theory fits with the location of the find. During the Middle Ages, the centre of Paderborn was home to wealthy urban residents and merchants rather than nobles. Merchants, Gai noted, were among the few people in medieval society who could both read and write.
The notebook’s survival is especially remarkable because wax tablets were designed to be temporary. Older writing could be smoothed away with the flat end of the stylus and replaced with new text. Yet traces of earlier inscriptions still remain visible beneath the most recent layer of writing. Researchers hope modern imaging techniques will eventually allow them to separate and decipher these overlapping layers of text.
Preserved by the Latrine
Ironically, the notebook owes its preservation to the very place where it was discarded. The sealed, damp, and oxygen-poor environment of the latrine prevented the organic materials from decaying.
LWL conservator Susanne Bretzel explained that the find at first appeared unimpressive. “Packed in a wet clod of earth—and initially quite inconspicuous—the object only became clear during cleaning in our restoration workshop in Münster,” she said. “And indeed, even after so many centuries in the ground, the latrine find still had a rather unpleasant odor.”
The inner pages remained tightly bound together, protecting the wax surfaces from dirt and distortion. According to Bretzel, the wooden tablets had not warped, allowing the writing to remain clearly legible.
The conservation process is expected to take up to a year. Researchers are currently studying the materials used in the object, including the type of wax, resin mixture, pigments, and wood species involved in its construction. Until testing is complete, the leather and wood components are being stored in distilled water.
Clues to Medieval Daily Life
Beyond the notebook itself, the latrine contained numerous other medieval artefacts, including barrels, knives, pottery, basketry remains, and fragments of silk fabric.
One particularly intriguing possibility concerns the silk scraps recovered from the latrine. Conservators noted that some of the finely woven textiles had been cut into rectangular pieces, possibly for reuse as toilet paper after the luxurious fabric had worn out.
The notebook’s decorative leather cover also hints at its owner’s social standing. The embossed lily motifs carried strong symbolic associations in the Middle Ages, representing purity, royal authority, and divine favour.
Researchers are now hoping to connect the find to a specific household. Once archaeologists determine which medieval property the latrine belonged to, archival research may reveal the names of its former residents.
“As soon as this latrine can be assigned to a specific plot of land,” Gai explained, “archival research could be used to try to identify the residents of that plot. Then, in the best-case scenario, it would be possible to link the wax tablet to the name of a specific person.”
Deciphering the Text
Reading the notebook will not be easy. According to the archaeologists, the cursive Latin script is difficult even for specialists to interpret. “The text is not easy to decipher, even for experts in the field,” said Rüschoff-Parzinger. “Individual words are recognizable, but the transcription will take some time, as some words may have been corrupted by incorrect spellings.”
Once the transcription is complete, the text will be translated from Latin into German. Researchers hope it may shed light on commerce, literacy, and personal record-keeping in medieval Westphalia.
The notebook is eventually expected to go on display at the LWL Museum in the Imperial Palace in Paderborn, where visitors may one day see one of the most unusual and informative medieval discoveries made in Germany in recent years.
Top Image: Conservator Susanne Bretzel holds the wax booklet up to the camera.
Photo: LWL Archaeology for Westphalia/E. Daood
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