As construction crews break ground for a new highway in Syracuse, New York, archaeologists follow along.
Local news station Syracuse.com reported that researchers discovered 11 toilets believed to date back to the mid-1800s.
Workers sifted through the composted human waste and found items that residents appeared to have disposed of in the toilet.
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“Each one of these secrets is a little time capsule for us,” archaeologist Daniel Seib told Syracuse.com.
Archaeologists discovered 11 toilets (not pictured) and artifacts dating back to the mid-1800s. (St. Petersburg)
According to Syracuse.com, the research team investigated the 5-foot-deep hole and found cow bones, seashells and a pocket watch.
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Also found was a large chunk of broken plates and the handle of a water jug.


Construction workers work on paving a new highway in Syracuse, New York, as archaeologists uncover artifacts from centuries ago (not pictured). (St. Petersburg)
“These are all things that they owned and used, and this tells you what kind of life they lived. It’s very personal. So artifacts like this Whenever we acquire , we treat them with great respect,” Seib said.
Centuries ago, before indoor plumbing, people used outdoor sheds separate from their homes.
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According to Waste360, a New York-based company that provides sustainable waste management solutions, waste workers, known as “human waste men,” “work in the dark to escape polite society from confronting their own waste.” It is said that he was removing excrement from a private property in secret.


The team reportedly found cow bones, shells and a pocket watch. (Courtesy of Bob Burns)
The artifacts will reportedly be sent to the New York State Museum in Albany for public display.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the New York State Museum for comment.