Analysis of 1,300 year-old human faeces in Mexico has changed the way scientists are viewing an ancient civilisation after multiple new bacteria were discovered
Scientists studying 1,300-year-old human faeces from the Cave of the Dead Children in Mexico have discovered that people dealt with nasty infections more than a millennium ago – changing how scientists view the ancient civilisation.
Lead boffin Drew Capone and colleagues used molecular analysis to examine 10 ancient desiccated faeces samples, or paleofaeces, discovered in a cave in Mexico’s Rio Zape Valley near Durango. The samples date from A.D. 725 to 920, with the team’s findings published on Wednesday (October 22) in the PLOS One journal .
They extracted DNA from the 10 paleofaeces samples and found that every sample had at least one pathogen or gut microbe in it, and the two most common were the intestinal parasite Blastocystis, which can cause gastrointestinal issues, and multiple strains of the bacterium E.coli, which were found in 70% of the samples.
This means the new analysis has revealed the DNA of pathogens that were not previously found in paleofaeces, including Blastocystis and Shigella .
The surprisingly high number of microbes found in the faeces suggests poor sanitation among the Loma San Gabriel culture and suggests that people likely ingested the microbes via faeces-contaminated drinking water, soil or food.
This has has opened up new ways for scientists to explore how ancient people lived and how pathogens may have impacted their health.
This new study built on previous research of paleofaeces from the cave that revealed the presence of hookworm, whipworm, pinworm and eggs, suggesting the people who deposited their faeces in the cave were infected by a variety of parasites.
In the 1950s, archaeologists excavating the Cave of the Dead Children uncovered human and animal bones, plant remains, and both human and non-human paleofaeces.
The site had been used by the prehistoric Loma San Gabriel culture, known for its small-scale farming, distinctive pottery, village life, and practice of child sacrifice.
In the new study, scientists used advanced molecular techniques to identify additional microbes in paleofeaces from “10 separate defecation events”, aiming to deepen understanding of disease among the Loma people.
In a statement Capone said: “Working with these ancient samples was like opening a biological time capsule, with each one revealing insight into human health and daily life.”
Study co-author Joe Brown, a professor of environmental sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, added: “There is a lot of potential in the application of modern molecular methods to inform studies of the past.”
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