What Did Ancient Romans Do Without Toilet Paper?

An archaeologist argues that toilet paper is a cultural technology rather than a natural necessity, and that modern societies should consider how ancient Romans handled hygiene. Romans used shared tersoria, sponges attached to sticks that were rinsed in water or vinegar or salt water, and they washed clothes in collected urine, which contains ammonia that works as a detergent. The article notes that toilet paper was formally introduced in the United States in 1857, when Joseph Gayetty first sold sheets bearing his name, and that Americans use more than 50 pounds per person per year.