29. Something Stinks

The Romans began building advanced sewer systems throughout their empire starting in the sixth century. It developed into an vast network of underground stone vaults that transported waste water of all kinds out of the city. It wasn’t as advanced as the sewer systems we have now, but it was a lot better than what came after the fall of the Roman Empire. 

Once the Roman Empire fell in 476 CE, their sewer system fell into ruin and became a thing of the past. From the 5th century until 1855, not a single European city had a sewage system to safely get rid of human waste and contaminated water. No one seemed to realize that drinking, cooking, and washing in water contaminated by human feces was dangerous – and sometimes lethal – for literally hundreds of years. It seems obvious to us now, but after the Roman Empire disintegrated, so did a lot of collective knowledge and infrastructure.