Lloyds Bank coprolite

Infobox Artifact
name = Lloyds Bank coprolite


image_caption =
material = Human excrement"The Wall Street Journal", 9 September 1991]
created = 9th century AD
discovered = 1972, Coppergate, York
location = JORVIK Viking Centre The Lloyds Bank coprolite is a large human coprolite, or fossilized dung specimen, recovered by archaeologists excavating the Viking settlement of Jórvík (now York) in England.

It was found in 1972 beneath the site of what was to become the York branch of Lloyds Bank and may be the largest example of fossilised human feces ever found. Analysis of the nine-inch (23 cm) long stool has indicated that its producer subsisted largely on meat and bread whilst the presence of several hundred parasitic eggs suggests he or she was riddled with intestinal worms. In 1991, paleoscatologist Andrew Jones made international news with his appraisal of the item for insurance purposes: "This is the most exciting piece of excrement I've ever seen. In its own way, it's as valuable as the Crown Jewels."

The specimen was put on display at the city's (now known as DIG), the outreach and education institution run by the York Archaeological Trust, where it delighted generations of awestruck schoolchildren."The Guardian", 6 June 2003] In 2003, it broke into three pieces after being dropped whilst on exhibition to a party of visitors. As of 2003, efforts were underway to reconstruct it.

In 2008 it was on display at the JORVIK Viking Centre.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/story/0,11711,972060,00.html Story of the breakage, with a picture of the intact coprolite]