CHINA: The ruins of the sprawling ancient palace at Yueyang in the city of Xi’an attest to the lavish life its royal residents led when the city was an important capital during the late Qin and early Han Dynasties, between 2,400 and 2,200 years ago. The residents also seem to have had an extravagant luxury item: a flushing toilet, among the oldest ever discovered. The indoor lavatory was connected to the palace’s exterior with a pipe so the toilet could be flushed by servants pouring water through it.