In an ancient jar, researchers discovered the eggs of whipworms, suggesting they once contained human feces.

Ceramics are one of the most commonly found artifacts on Roman sites. Also on the Italian island of Sicily, researchers in an ancient Roman villa have stumbled upon ceramic pots dating from the fifth century. Due to lack of other evidence, the jars were referred to as “storage jars.” But now it turns out that what the Romans put in the jars – hopefully – didn’t last long.

po

In a new study, researchers examined crusty material caked on the inside of a ceramic pot found in Sicily. Using microscopy, the researchers found the eggs of whipworms on the ancient Roman shards. And that indicates that the Roman jar once contained human excrement and thus may have been used as ‘po’. “It was incredibly exciting to find the eggs of these parasitic worms 1,500 years after they were deposited on the pots,” said study researcher Tianyi Wang.

The studied Roman pot. Image: Roger Wilson

whipworms

Whipworms are human parasites that are about two inches long and live on the inside of the intestines of infected individuals. The eggs they lay are mixed with human feces and were probably deposited in the pot during a visit to the toilet.

Egg of a whipworm, found in the Roman pot. The black scale bar represents 20 micrometers. Image: Sophie Rabinow

Because the pot was probably used extensively, minerals from urine and feces formed the rather thick crusty layer on the inside of the Roman pot. “We found that the parasite eggs became entangled in the layers of minerals that formed in the jar,” said researcher Sophie Rabinow. “As a result, they have been preserved for centuries.”

Roman villa

Because the pot was found in an ancient Roman villa bath complex, the researchers assume that those who visited the baths used the pot when they had to go to the toilet. “There were no toilets in the baths themselves,” said researcher Piers Mitchell. “Obviously, convenience was important to the Romans.”

Dimensions

The Romans must have been quite agile to relieve themselves directly on the pot. The studied pot is less than 32 centimeters high and has a diameter of about 34 centimeters. The researchers therefore suspect that the pot probably stood under a wooden chair with a hole. Then the droppings plopped into the pot positioned on the floor and directly under the seat.

Thanks to the study, we are learning more and more about the toilet habits of the ancient Romans. Moreover, many other ceramic pots dating from the Roman Empire and exhibited in museums may well represent not storage jars but real ‘portable toilets’. “These jars can now be sampled using our technique to find out,” said Mitchell.