It can hard to sniff out the uses of pottery from bygone eras.
For example, researchers have uncovered conical ceramic pots from ancient Rome.
What were they used for?
A new study found that at least some of them may have been the porta-potties of their time.
That crusty material included evidence the pot once held human feces.
The researchers used microscopy to identify whipworm eggs in the pot.
Whipworms are intestinal parasites that like to set up shop in the human gut.
The name comes from the worm’s resemblance to a whip.
Whipworm eggs catch a ride out into the world by mixing in with human excrement.
In the case of the Roman artifact, the eggs were preserved in mineral layers in the pot.
The same method could be used to determine if other pots were used as toilet accessories.
The researchers suspect the 12.5-inch-wide (31.8-centimeter) pot was probably used with a seat-like structure over it.
Toilet habits can tell us a lot about the diets, ailments and everyday life of ancient cultures.
“This pot came from the baths complex of a Roman villa.
“Clearly, convenience was important to them.”
