From Anatolia to Oregon – What Ancient Poop Can Tell Us About the Lives of Our Ancestors

A talk by Lisa-Marie Shillito, Newcastle University

Part of the 2021 Archaeology Roadshow

Date
6.2.2021

Abstract
What can the analysis of ancient poop tell us about the lives of people in the past? Dr. Shillito has worked on this question at different sites around the world, from Paisley Caves, Oregon, to the world heritage site of Catalhoyuk in Turkey, and Vindolanda Roman Fort in the UK. This talk discusses the scientific methods we can use, from chemistry to botany, to analyse ancient poop and provide insights into the diets, health and environments of ancient cultures from hunter-gatherers to the Romans!

Biographical Information
Lisa-Marie Shillito is an environmental archaeologist and Associate Professor in Landscape Archaeology at Newcastle University, UK. She is the PI on a collaborative project with the University of Oregon, examining the diets and environment of early inhabitants of the Great Basin at Paisley Caves, and a leading expert on archaeological coprolite analysis.