Archaeology: Check out this 2,700-year-old toilet discovered in Jerusalem

Would you fancy using this royal but very, very, very old loo?

Check out this toilet... from 2,700 years ago!

It was found during archaeological excavations of a former royal mansion in Jerusalem, and dates from the end of the 7th century BCE.

The private toilet cubicle was found in the remains of a building overlooking the City of David archaeological site and the Temple Mount.

It may look like, erm, a hole in the ground, but the bathroom was made entirely of stone with a carved toilet made of limestone that stood over a deep septic tank.

For someone to have a private toilet of this kind would have been extremely rare and very luxurious.

Yaakov Billig, director of the excavation explained that "only the rich could afford toilets" and other writings from that era even spoke about how the definition of a rich person was having a toilet nearby!

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said it had been "designed for comfortable sitting" and whoever made it also seemed to have made a plan to disguise any smelly aromas.

Inside the toilet cubicle the team found 30 to 40 bowls which the team think could have held aromatic oils or incense, basically like early air fresheners.

The septic tank beneath the toilet contained a large amount of pottery and animal bones, which could also help archaeologists to get a better understanding of the lifestyle and diet of the period, as well as ancient diseases.

At the wider excavation site, archaeologists discovered small columns that were used as railings for windows as well as evidence that there was a garden near the toilet.

The garden had ornamental trees, fruit trees and aquatic plants which led researchers to believe it must have been part of the royal estate.

"It is fascinating to see how something that is obvious to us today, such as toilets, was a luxury item during the reign of the kings of Judah," IAA director Eli Eskosido said.

What do you think of this ancient loo? Let us know in the comments!