Archaeologists have unearthed a treasure trove of ancient medical instruments in a Renaissance-era dumpster located at Forum Caesar in Rome. Materials include a variety of containers, including several old “urine bottles” used to collect patients’ urine for analysis.

First, the 16th-century landfill was excavated in 2021. The dump is believed to be a remnant of the Ospedale dei Fornari (also known as the Bakers Hospital), which was built in the same building as the Caesar’s Forum. An article about the discovery was recently published in the journal Antiquity.

The discovery was made when archaeologists from the Caesar’s Forum excavation project uncovered a large cistern filled with ceramic vessels similar to the ancient urine bottles pictured at the beginning of this article. These containers are believed to have been used to collect medical waste and even test bodily fluids.

Many of the items found in the cistern are believed to be part of standard patient items taken each time a patient comes to Bakers Hospital. Among these items, there are jugs, plates, bowls and jugs, which are kept on the patient for hygienic purposes.

Archaeologists believe that more than half of the objects found are the remains of objects called matulae or ancient urine bottles in Latin medical texts. These substances were used to collect a patient’s urine, allowing doctors to observe its color, odor and even taste to check for various impurities.

“The patient’s urine was poured into a bottle so that the doctor could observe its colour, sedimentation, smell, and sometimes even taste,” the project participants wrote in their work. In this period, the practice of uroscopy was vital for the physician’s work.

Finding these items, including old urine bottles, in a medical dump is further proof that Renaissance physicians at least had an idea of ​​how important hygiene was in the medical world. Ancient medicine often relied on miracle herbs and other strange treats to help treat various ailments and injuries.