A pit toilet consists of a hole in the ground that is deep enough to hold a significant amount of waste, but not deep enough to penetrate the water table. The pit has some type of outhouse structure on top containing the toilet seat. When the pit is full, it is covered and the outhouse is moved over a new pit.
Pit toilets should not be used in areas without a significant layer of biologically active soil, as it is the microorganisms in the soil that eventually break down the waste. Alpine areas generally have too little topsoil and the shallow rock layers make the digging of pits difficult, if not impossible.
Widespread use.