It's Good To Be The King - But Not Perfect
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 12:29 pm
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/01/a ... rms/142407
Ancient toilet reveals Jerusalem elite suffered from infectious diseases and worms
Researchers studying an ancient toilet in Jerusalem from the 7th century BC have revealed how society elite suffered from infectious diseases and worms.
The study, now published in the International Journal of Palaeopathology was conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University, who exposed the remains of 2,700-year-old intestinal worm eggs below the stone toilet in a cesspit.
The eggs belong to the four different types of intestinal parasites: roundworm, tapeworm, whipworm, and pinworm.
Dr Dafna Langgut of Tel Aviv University and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History said: “These are durable eggs, and under the special conditions provided by the cesspit they survived for nearly 2,700 years. Intestinal worms are parasites that cause symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, and itching. Some of them are especially dangerous for children and can lead to malnutrition, developmental delays, nervous system damage, and, in extreme cases, even death.”