The remnants of human poop could help with the study of ancient populations

Cahokia, Illinois is a location of an ancient civilization, but scientists were not positive on the amount of people that lived there. Population of ancient civilizations is extremely difficult for archaeologists to determine, and it is usually found by looking at amounts of artifacts and structures found. A new tactic was used, measuring the amount of a molecule called coprostanol, found in human poop, that has been embedded in these settlements. A similar study with the components of feces is being conducted in Peru, and this could help strengthen the test's accuracy. I was shocked to read that components found in poop, of all things, could be a large step in helping archaeologists. I hope that more studies like these are conducted, worldwide, so that their validity can be further examined.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/remnants-human-poop-help-archaeologists-study-ancient-populations-180970337/

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 15, 2018 at 8:38 AM

    This is very interesting! These new techniques can be used to discover so many different populations and can be a great tool in archaeology. It will be exciting to see what information is gained in the future by using this test.

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