A new study has shown that organic residues from a 1,900-year-old glass medicinal bottle from Roman times originated from human feces. Thyme was used to mask the smell.
Dark brown flakes discovered inside a 1,900-year-old Roman glass jar constitute the first direct evidence of the use of human feces for medicinal purposes.
The conclusion is from a study to be in the April edition of Journal of Archaeological Sciencewhich details that the feces were mixed with thyme to mask the smell.
Furthermore, the mixture may have been used to treat inflammation or infections.
The new study detailed the analysis of the contents of a specific ointment, a small glass bottle used to contain perfume, oil or medicines. The glass jar had been sealed with clay in ancient times and was found in a tomb in the ancient city of Pergamum, in western Europe. Türkiye.
“When we opened the ointment, there was no bad smell,” the leader of the investigation told . Cenker Atilaarchaeologist at Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Turkey.
Two of the identified compounds — coprostanol e 24-etilcoprostanol — in content are normally found in the digestive tracts of animals that metabolize cholesterol.
“This study provides the first direct chemical evidence of the medicinal use of fecal matter in Greco-Roman antiquity,” the researchers wrote, cited by Live Science.
Another important discovery in the residue was the carvacrolan aromatic organic compound present in essential oils produced from certain herbs.
“We identified human feces mixed with thyme. As we are well familiar with ancient textual sources, we immediately recognized this as a medicinal preparation used by the famous Roman physician Galen“, said Attila.
In Roman medicine, there were several popular remedies based on feces to treat various conditions ranging from inflammations and infections to reproductive disorders. The researchers give as an example the fact that Galen mentioned the therapeutic value of the feces of a child who had consumed legumes, bread and wine.
