For many years it was thought that the Romans were the only people in Europe to develop under floor drainage. However, the settlement of Chysauster in Madron, Cornwall proves that the Celts also developed this technology. Chysauster is one of the best preserved early Celtic stone villages; it was constructed before the Roman invasion of Britain and continued to be inhabited until the 4th century AD. Out of the nine oval houses found in the village only one had under floor drainage, which may indicate that it was a symbol of prestige.
