So how long have sewers been around, anyhow? Perhaps the oldest are on the
Orkney Islands, north of Scotland, where archaeologists found traces of pipes and drainage systems that are 5,000 years old, with lavatory-like plumbing systems – complete with drainage outlets! Other
ancient plumbing evidence has been uncovered in excavations on the Isle of Crete, in the
Palace of Knossos. Dating to around 1700 BCE, several separate drainage systems were found that emptied into great sewers constructed of stone. The terra cotta pipe was installed beneath the palace floor, hidden from view. At nearly one inch in diameter, they provided hot and cold running water for the place as well as the palace fountains. Brilliant!