Although the Romans introduced public toilets and baths to improve the hygiene of populations, parasites and lice were common in ancient Rome.
Aqueducts, gladiatorial fights, Julius Caesar or even the conquest of Europe … When we think of Roman Antiquity, several images come to mind. Another innovation, perhaps less elegant, is also closely associated with Roman culture: public toilets and thermal baths.
The Romans introduced these sanitary facilities throughout their empire, and also passed laws to ban litter and excrement from public roads. A sewage system has also gradually been installed.
Yet despite all these efforts, all areas conquered by the Romans suffered an upsurge in intestinal parasites, fleas and lice. This is what reveals a new study published in the journal Parasitology
Archaeological excavations
The team of researchers, from the Department of Archeology and Anthropology of theCambridge University, visited several archaeological excavation sites of the former Roman Empire. Scientists searched ancient objects and recovered textiles for evidence of the presence of parasites. They also analyzed fossilized excrement.
According to their observations, intestinal parasites were much less rare than previously thought. Surprising results, given that the vast majority of studies published today emphasize that the introduction of sanitary equipment brings short-term health benefits for populations.
Agriculture, public baths …
The researchers therefore tried to explain why the Roman Empire had known such a spread of parasites.
Their study details three hypotheses. The first concerns the methods employed in the agricultural sector. To be able to be used as fertilizer the excrements must be composted for several months in order to kill the eggs of the parasites present. The Romans understood the interest of excrement to increase agricultural yields but had not yet acquired the concept of compost.
“It is possible that the laws put in place to remove the excrement from the streets did not have the desired effect because the excrement was reused as fertilizer for agricultural crops, and the pests thus ended up on people’s plates.” says Dr. Piers Mitchell, lead author of the study.
Another explanation: the thermal baths made it possible to improve the appearance of the inhabitants, but they did not present themselves particularly as very hygienic places. The waters were not changed on a regular basis, leaving bacteria and parasites the opportunity to proliferate, especially in hot water pools.
Special gastronomy
The researchers also explain that Roman gastronomy may have contributed to the rise of parasites. A popular fermented fish sauce was produced throughout the empire. Its production method, which required leaving raw fish in the sun for long hours, was conducive to the spread of tapeworm, a tapeworm present in this food.
By themselves, the modernization of sanitary equipment and the innovations brought by the Romans were not enough to ensure hygiene and health to all populations under Roman domination.
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