Human waste in Roman medicine? First physical evidence found in ancient vessel causes 'immense excitement'

Researchers recently unveiled proof that Romans used a surprising ingredient in their medical treatments - and it's far from sanitary.

The research focuses on a vessel that was unearthed in Pergamon, originally a Greek city that was conquered by the Romans in 133 B.C. The site is now located in İzmir Province, in western Turkey.

While the vessel appeared ordinary, it was later found to have served a medical purpose. Researchers identified "dark brownish flakes" in the residue - which were determined to be fecal matter.

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In a study published in the April 2026 edition of the Journal of Archaeological Sciences, researchers argued that the residue is the first "direct chemical evidence for the medicinal use of fecal matter in Greco-Roman antiquity."

It's not exactly a surprise that fecal matter was used in ancient Roman medicine, said Cenker Atila, an archaeology professor at Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey and co-author of the study.

The practice was "already known from ancient sources," the expert told Fox News Digital.

Yet "despite these references, there had long been debate about whether such treatments were actually used in practice. By discovering this substance in [famous physician] Galen's own city - and identifying the very remedy he described - we were able to put an end to those doubts."

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Atila found the vessels in the storage of the Bergama Museum in Bergama, Turkey, while doing research on a separate project.

After noticing that some of the glasses contained residue, he went back with his colleagues to collect the material.

"While working on the Pergamon Museum glassware project, we expected we might uncover an ancient cosmetic or medicinal substance," said Atila.

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"However, finding the very remedy described by Galen himself was both a great surprise and a source of immense excitement."

The residue was found in a vessel called an unguentarium, typically used to contain perfumes - but Atila said that it appears to have been repurposed as a medicine bottle.

He worked with his colleagues - chemist İlker Demirbolat and medical historian Rana Babaç Çelebi - to analyze the contents further. 

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The residue contained human feces mixed with thyme and olive oil.

"Because we are well acquainted with ancient textual sources, we immediately recognized this as a medicinal preparation used by the famous physician Galen," the archaeologist said.

"We therefore proceeded to publish our findings without delay."

The thyme was used to mask the smell of human waste, as well as for its antibacterial properties, Atila said.

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And for those wondering whether it still smells today - Atila said it doesn't.

"When we opened the bottle, we did not encounter any noticeable smell," he said. 

"This find represents the first archaeological evidence of a medicine that we know was used during the Roman period."

He also said that the research proves that all archaeological finds - even seemingly ordinary ones - "should be examined with great care, as any object may contain material of substantial scientific importance."