Prehistoric poop helps scientists understand the people who lived here thousands of years ago

The Paisley Caves are located in south-central Oregon. They have some of the oldest archeological materials in North America. Archeology is the study of ancient cultures by looking for and examining their buildings, tools, and other objects, according to the Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary.

People used these caves over 14,000 years ago. One use for the caves was as a toilet. Scientists today study the human waste (coprolites) left there. The information can tell scientists when people lived in this area. It can also help these archeologists to understand how these people lived.

“They’re really great not just for looking to see whether people are present, but as nice little packages of information about diet and health,” says Dr. Lisa-Marie Shillito. She is an archeologist at the University of Newcastle in England. She studies the caves and their contents. One thing she learned was that the ancient people had a diverse diet — not only large animals such as mammoths, but also small animals, insects, seeds, and plants.

The research at the Paisley Caves is part of a larger study of ancient people of North America. As more sites are found, Dr. Shillito says, “We’ll get a more detailed idea of exactly how people were moving around across the continent, and what they were doing in the environment, rather than just thinking about when they got there.”

^{-This story was first published in ESOL News Oregon July 24, 2020.}