Overview
- A 2,000-year-old glass vial recovered from a tomb in Pergamon, Turkey, contained residues that include human fecal biomarkers.
- Analysts also detected carvacrol, a key component of thyme oil, which aligns with texts describing odor-masking additives in ancient remedies.
- Researchers say this constitutes the first archaeological confirmation of feces-based treatments described in Greco-Roman sources and noted in Egyptian and Chinese writings.
- The study was led by Dr. Cenker Atila of Sivas Cumhuriyet University, who linked the find to Pergamon’s medical heritage associated with Galen and Roman-era developments under Trajan.
- The team is now surveying museum-held vials and ceramic containers across Turkey for additional ancient pharmacy samples, while journalists note conceptual parallels to modern fecal microbiota transplants.