Coprolites, gut contents and molecular archaeoparasitology

Well-preserved ancient human bodies, coprolites, and other faecal deposits can be found all over the world, from the frozen plains of the Artic to the temperate, tropical, and equatorial regions. This chapter considers historical perspectives and practical aspects of the analysis of faecal material before considering parasitic infections and provides a brief discussion of the impact of modern ancient DNA (aDNA) methods on such studies. Well-preserved human gut contents are rare finds which elicit enormous scientific and public interest. Coprolites are individual fossil or subfossil faeces, preserved through charring, mineralization, or found as desiccated samples in caves and arid regions. The first archaeoparasitological analysis was undertaken by Ruffer on Egyptian mummies, but it was not until the 1960s and 1980s that standardization of the field took place. Over recent years the use of aDNA methods has been applied to the study of faecal-derived deposits from communal and individual-based.