Scientists found some poop recently , but this is no average poop . This caboodle of ancient feces is providing some new archaeologic insight into the life , parasites , and medical knowledge of the ancient Greeks .

Archaeologists discovered the extremely moulder poop on the Greek island of Kea , among a serial of burial pit curb at least 25 skeletal frame from the Neolithic era ( 4th millenary BCE ) , the Bronze Age ( 2nd millenary BCE ) , and the Roman periods ( 146 BCE - 330 CE).Scientists at the University of Cambridge have recently aim a microscope to the ordure , only to discover it ’s riddled with the ballock of multiple nasty parasites . As described in theJournal of Archaeological Science : Reports , the squad get that eggs from whipworms ( Trichuris trichiura)and roundworms ( Ascaris lumbricoides ) were present in the stern of at least four someone .

Most interestingly of all , these parasites come out to match up with the enteral worm   first described in the texts of Hippocrates , the ancient Greek " Father of Medicine " .

" Finding the eggs of intestinal parasite as early as the Neolithic full point in Greece is a fundamental advance in our field of operations , " Evilena Anastasiou , one of the study ’s authors , said in astatement .   " This provides the early evidence for   parasitic worm   in ancient Greece . "

" This research shows how we can bring together archaeology and account to help us better see the discoveries of key early medical practitioners and scientists , " added confidential information investigator Piers Mitchell from Cambridge ’s Department of Archaeology .

These infections are not specially pleasant , as you’re able to imagine . TheHippocratic Corpusexplains that symptom can admit tum pain , looseness of the bowels , fevers and chills , heartburn , weakness , abdominal lump , and spue up worms .

As prophetical as his Ketubim were , Hippocrates did also believe some rather strange thing about the human soundbox that would now be labeled as pseudoscience . For example , he believe that   human moods and temperament were the result of four corporal fluids : rake , xanthous gall , black bile , and phlegm , so it ’s just to say his texts can not be taken at face economic value . That ’s why the research worker welcome this breakthrough , as it ’s the first piece of archeologic evidence that the Greeks really did have intestinal worms .

" The Helmins strongyle dirt ball in the ancient Grecian text edition is potential to have referred to roundworm , as find at Kea , " said Mitchell . " The Ascaris worm describe in the ancient medical texts may well have refer to two leech , threadworm and whipworm , with the latter being found at Kea .

" Until now we only had estimates from historians as to what kinds of parasites were described in the ancient Greek aesculapian textbook . Our research confirms some aspects of what the historiographer thought , but also sum novel data that the historians did not expect , such as that whipworm was present . "