Analysis of prehistoric feces shows Stonehenge people had parasites

The people who built the famous site are thought to have camped in the large Neolithic settlement known as Durrington Walls. A new paper published in the journal Parasitology states that British archaeologists found the eggs of parasites in the fecal matter they collected at the site. Dogs and humans shared the feces that was preserved, indicating that people brought dogs to the site with them for winter feasts.

This is the first time that parasites have been recovered from Neolithic Britain, and to find them in the environment of Stonehenge is really something, said co-author Piers Mitchell.

Archaeologists are interested in learning more about the health and diet of past populations, as well as how certain parasites evolved over the evolutionary history of the microbiome. Fecal samples are usually found in dry caves, desert areas, frozen areas, and waterlogged environments, where desiccation, freezing, and similar processes preserve the fecal matter for future use.

fecal samples can be difficult to determine if they are human or produced by other animals. Only those samples found with human skeletons or mummies could be considered as being of human origin. The tool developed by scientists is capable of determining if paleofeces and coprolites are of human or animal origin. The archaeological record was full of dog poop.

Studies have compared fecal parasites found in hunter-gatherer and farming communities to reveal dramatic changes in diet, as well as shifts in settlement patterns and social organization. The elite of Jerusalem in the 7th century BC were plagued by poor sanitary conditions that resulted in diseases. An analysis of soil samples collected from a stone toilet found within the ruins of a villa revealed the presence of eggs from four different species.

The authors decided to examine coprolites excavated from the Durrington Walls site to determine if humans and parasites were present in the prehistoric population of Britain up to the Neolithic period.

Paleofeces retain a lot of organic components that can be reconstituted and analyzed for chemical properties. Most organic components have been replaced by mineral deposits. It can be difficult to distinguish the smallest coprolites from eggs. Undigested fragments of food can be found in coprolites.