Essay

Fossilized Poop: What Coprolites Reveal

What fossilized feces, archaeology, parasite evidence, diet, and microbial remains can tell us about ancient health and disease.

Indexed essay November 12, 2025 By Devin Teichrow scienceanthropologyScatologyHistory

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fossilized poop coprolites

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By Devin Teichrow. Published November 12, 2025.

Overview

What fossilized feces, archaeology, parasite evidence, diet, and microbial remains can tell us about ancient health and disease.

When construction first broke ground for the Lloyds Bank building in York in 1972, within a moist layer of peat was something each of the crew would have seen countless times before, although never one like this.

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