What to do with the poo

This is Crete, it’s the year 2000BC – and the problem – what to do with all that human waste. Deep beneath the Palace at Knossos, ancient plumbers set to work – solving the problem – of what to do with the Poo.

They installed terracotta pipes, some as wide as 15 inches throughout the building. The pipes snaked through walls, flushing waste, every time you used a special lever.  No more pit latrines – Knossos could boast the world's first flushing toilets – with a comfy seat, every time.

Gravity probably powered this marvel, a testament to Minoan engineering. So next time you install a new toilet – just remember, the ancient Greeks were 6,000 years ahead of you.