No Shit!

[Jenny A]

So how exactly do you convince someone to take up the noble cause of studying fecal matter? I'm curious.

"We need to figure out what people and animals of the past ate."

"What's the best way to do that?"

"Study their poop."

It seems like the job given to someone who was originally doing other stuff, then did something bad, so you demote him or her to thorough examination of biological waste.

In the late 80's we visited England where the study of Roman poo was just taking off. I can't tell you how much of it I saw and read about in museums particularly along Hadrian's Wall. Can't remember what the Roman's ate, but I do remember the British were sure they knew.