How did Ancient Romans dispose of trash?

But ancient examples of large-scale collection and long-term storage of trash in a landfill are scarce, Gadot says. Down the drain in Rome. Beyond Jerusalem, across the rest of the Roman Empire, garbage disposal was a chronic problem, especially in large cities. read more

Shortly before the abandonment of Teotihuacan these drainages began to fill up with sediment and trash which may have been a breakdown of some sort of civil service system that maintained these drainage ditches and made sure they were clear of garbage and other items. read more

However, it was not uncommon for Romans to throw waste out of windows into the streets (at least according to Roman satirists). Despite this, Roman waste management is admired for its innovation. It is estimated that the first sewers of ancient Rome were built between 800 and 735 BC. read more