Ever find yourself up late at night wondering what the people who built Stonehenge ate? Us neither. But now we know anyway, thanks to some fossilised shite.
Some ancient faeces has been uncovered in an old village near Stonehenge, the mysterious boulder structure near the south coast of England.
Those prehistoric turds have been investigated by historians, revealing that the people who likely built the landmark, ate the internal organs of cattle.
In the five pieces of poo (from one human and four dogs), researchers found parasitic worm eggs, which suggests they had eaten raw or undercooked lungs or liver from an animal that was already infected by the parasite.
Capillariid worms commonly infect cattle, so historians have guessed that cattle is the source of the parasite, however bone discoveries from the village suggest that its inhabitants mainly ate pig, consuming cattle only on rare occasions.
Either way, researchers are excited by the new discovery, with University College London professor Mike Parker Pearson noting, “This new evidence tells us something new about the people who came here for winter feasts during the construction of Stonehenge.”
“Pork and beef were spit-roasted or boiled in clay pots but it looks as if the offal wasn’t always so well cooked.”
Who knew you could learn so much from a load of shit?
