A recent archaeological discovery has shed new light on the medical practices of ancient Rome, revealing that a bottle previously believed to hold perfume actually contained human feces, likely for medicinal purposes. This groundbreaking finding offers tangible chemical evidence supporting the historical medical texts of Galen, a renowned Greek physician, who documented the use of such unconventional treatments over two millennia ago. The presence of aromatic compounds alongside the fecal matter suggests an attempt to mitigate unpleasant odors, aligning with Galen's instructions for making foul-smelling remedies more tolerable.
For centuries, written accounts from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome have detailed various medicinal formulations. However, obtaining concrete physical proof that these recipes were actually put into practice to address health issues in antiquity has been exceptionally rare. This discovery bridges that gap, offering a unique glimpse into the practical application of ancient pharmacology.
The journey to this revelation began when Atila Cenker, an archaeologist from Sivas Cumhuriyet University, contacted Rana Çelebi, a medical historian at Istanbul Medipol University. Cenker had access to a collection of Roman unguentaria, small vessels commonly thought to be perfume bottles. Çelebi, eager to explore the potential for ancient perfume residues, recognized this as an extraordinary opportunity to examine well-preserved artifacts.
Their collaboration extended to Ilker Demirbolat, a chemist from Istanbul Kent University. Together, the trio embarked on a special mission to the Bergama Archaeology Museum in western Turkey, the very city where Galen himself had studied medicine. There, under strict supervision, they carefully selected nine unguentaria and meticulously collected residues from within them. The process was fraught with anxiety, given the fragility of the nearly 2,000-year-old glass vessels, but fortunately, no damage occurred.
Upon returning to Istanbul, Demirbolat commenced the chemical analysis of the collected samples. His initial goal was to identify any compounds that might correspond to known ancient perfume or therapeutic recipes. While most bottles yielded unremarkable results, one particular vessel delivered a startling and medically significant discovery: human feces. This unexpected finding strongly correlated with ancient medical literature, which frequently mentioned the use of animal excrement, and occasionally human, for various treatments.
Alongside the fecal matter, the researchers detected trace amounts of aromatic compounds, likely originating from thyme or oregano. This suggests that these fragrant herbs were added to mask the potent odor of the fecal material, a practice consistent with Galen's descriptions. Maria Perla Colombini, a professor emeritus of analytical chemistry at the University of Pisa, who was not involved in the study, praised the rigor of the analysis, noting the difficulty in isolating such ancient molecules.
This finding is particularly remarkable because it provides scientific confirmation for a medical recipe penned by Galen, transforming what was once merely textual evidence into a tangible artifact. The contents of the bottle, far from being a fragrant perfume, represent a direct link to the practical medical applications of the ancient world. The researchers had initially envisioned an event where participants could experience the re-created ancient remedies, but the fecal discovery, albeit historically significant, has understandably altered those plans.