Analysis of contents from the drain of latrine at the Roman baths reveal parasites that infected those living at the Roman fort.
New research at the Roman Fort of Vindolanda close to Hadrian’s Wall, UK provides evidence for parasites that were present in the Roman period community. Analysis of soil from the drain connected to a latrine at the bath complex was used to recover gastrointestinal parasites including roundworm, whipworm and Giardia.
Vindolanda is famous for the organic objects preserved in the waterlogged soil at the site, such as more than 1000 thin wooden tablets written with ink that document daily life at the fort and a collection of over 5000 Roman leather shoes. This new evidence helps us understand health and disease amongst Roman soldiers stationed along the frontiers of the Empire. All of the parasites recovered are spread by ineffective sanitation, most often through contamination of food, drink or hands by human faeces. Despite the sanitation infrastructure built at the site, the soldiers were still infected with diseases spread by the fecal-oral route.
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McMaster
University of Cambridge
Scientific American
Ancient DNA Centre News