Am J Phys Anthropol 1988 Nov;77(3):355-366

Cultural ecology of prehistoric parasitism on
the Colorado Plateau as evidenced by
coprology.

Reinhard KJ

The study of coprolites (desiccated feces) is recognized as a viable
method for analyzing parasitism of prehistoric peoples. Eight species
of helminth parasites, including nematodes, cestodes, and
acanthcephalans, have been recovered from archaeological sites on
the Colorado Plateau. The comparative analysis of parasitological
findings illustrates the effects of changing subsistence strategies and
varying life-style on prehistoric human parasitism. This comparative
study is based on the analysis of coprolites recovered from one
Archaic hunter-gatherer site and two Anasazi agricultural villages.
Hunter-gatherers are represented by coprolites from Dust Devil
Cave in south-eastern Utah. Coprolites of prehistoric agriculturalists
from Antelope House in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, and from
Salmon Ruin in northwestern New Mexico were studied. The results
demonstrate that helminth parasitism increased with the advent of
agriculture. Between the agricultural sites, differences in patterns of
excreta disposal, foraging behavior, and local ecology resulted in
pronounced variations in both percentage of coprolites containing
parasite remains and the number of parasite species represented.