Eggs of parasites found in 4,500-year-old human feces suggest that Stonehenge builders took part in winter holidays involving the animal’s internal organs, researchers have found.
Stonehenge is believed to have been built around 2500 BC, with evidence showing that the builders were housed in a settlement known as the Durrington Walls, about 2 miles away. The site was mostly inhabited during the winter months and appears to have been in use for 10 to 50 years.
Experts say they have found intestinal parasites in ancient faeces – or coprolites – extracted from prehistoric dumps on Durrington’s walls, offering new insights into the lives and diets of those who built Stonehenge.
The team says the preserved feces are not only the oldest coprolites in the UK that contain parasites, but also the earliest evidence of a parasitic infection in the UK, where host species are known.
“This is the earliest place where we know the origins of the person who went to the bathroom,” said Dr. Pierce Mitchell of the University of Cambridge, co-author of the study.
Writing in the journal Parasitology, Mitchell and colleagues reported finding 19 coprolites in Durington Walls, five of which contained intestinal parasites.
Analysis of substances such as bile acids in the faeces showed that four of these coprolites were from dogs and one from humans, the latter and three of the dog specimens containing eggs from a parasitic worm known as a capillary – these eggs were similar to those infects cattle today.
The team says the discovery suggests that the builders of Stonehenge and their dogs ate insufficiently processed offal from infected cattle.
Mitchell said: “This shows that they ate the internal organs of the cattle, especially their livers, because these parasites lived there. It wasn’t just that they scraped the meat off the bones and then dumped the rest.
“They seem to have shared their food with their companions, or at least given them leftovers.
The other canine coprolite was found to contain tapeworm eggs, suggesting that the animal ate raw or undercooked freshwater fish. Mitchell said it looked likely the dog was already infected when it arrived in Darrington Wallace, given that the site was only occupied for short periods at a time and took several months after infection before the tapeworm began to produce. eggs. In addition, no bones or traces of freshwater fish oil were found in the village.
The team notes that previous discoveries of pig bones and cattle at Durington Walls suggest that its residents have been celebrating meaty winter holidays.
“[There is also] early evidence of milk and cheese and similar fascinating things, “Mitchell said, adding that previous work suggested that the builders had brought their animals with them when they traveled to Stonehenge.
But, he said, it was unclear whether the feasts were rare and special occasions, or whether the villagers cut off meat supplies every night.
Mike Pitts, an archaeologist who was not involved in the study, said the findings were exciting. “So little [information from the time] it survives, so every new window you can open to this past is extremely valuable, ”he said.
Pitts added that the results seemed to challenge previous studies that focused on pigs as a source of meat for Stonehenge builders and that no fish was eaten. However, he suggested that the explanation could be that Durington Walls is a busy, complex place where people with different customs have gathered for great construction.
Ultimately, he said, it is important to consider all types of finds. “Any kind of proof will not give you the full story,” he said.
Add Comment