"The most expensive piece of in history" shocked the world! Collected in England, it is more precious than the jewel in the crown

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"The most expensive piece of in history" shocked the world! Collection in England, archaeologists: it is more precious than the crown jewel?!

Before telling this story, I would like to ask you a "tasty question": How much do you think a piece of poop is worth?

Can you imagine: there is a string of "", which is even more precious than the jewel in the crown?

It is true that some people in history have made a name for themselves by conquest, and some have been famous for the throne for eternity, but who would have thought that there was a Viking warrior who would still be talked about thousands of years later by virtue of a "epic stool".

That's right, today's protagonist is not a certain Viking king who swept across Europe, but a piece of fossilized dung. It not only set a new record for the preservation of human feces, but also became a "national treasure" that archaeologists around the world are vying to study.

Once in a thousand years

"Miracle of the World"

The story begins in 1972, when a new branch was being built at Lloyds Bank in York, England.

While digging the foundations, the construction team found a large number of remnants of the Viking Age. As is customary, archaeologists are called in to excavate to see if they can find some precious historical artifacts.

They did find a "priceless treasure", but it wasn't gold or silver, but - a giant piece of fossilized dung!

At 20 centimeters long and 5 centimeters wide, this mass of feces is the largest and most complete human fossil feces in the world known to date.

The archaeological team was completely shocked, and even a little overwhelmed at first. After all, in the history of archaeology, everyone is accustomed to digging up metal weapons, pottery, coins, and at most looking at the food and drink residues of ancient people, and it is rare to see such a well-preserved giant dung.

Later, the pile was officially named "Lloyds Bank Coprolite" and was exhibited at the Jorvik Viking Centre, where it has since become a treasure.

Scientists estimate that this piece of poop is worth at least $39,000!

There are external causes of "":

How can it survive for thousands of years?

Generally speaking, feces are "short-lived" organic matter that normally decays within a few days and disappears completely after a few months. But how did this piece of manure lie quietly underground for 1,200 years and remain so intact?

The answer lies in York's unique geological environment.

York City during the Viking Age was a city of bio-waste that was decorated with wood, leather, fabric, animal bones, and countless ...... Human and animal feces.

Due to the long-term exposure of York's soil to a humid, oxygen-deficient environment, these organic matter are not decomposed normally, but are gradually mineralized and eventually fossilized.

Archaeologists say there is an archaeological layer nearly 3 meters deep beneath York, nearly a third of which is human and animal waste. Therefore, the preservation of this pile of feces is actually lucky, and it happens to be buried in the "fecal protection area".

However, this piece of feces is different from ordinary "underground aged", it is actually a complete and independent piece!

In most cases, ancient feces are excreted in public toilets, forming an archaeological layer of manure pits, making it difficult to distinguish specific individuals. But this Lloyd's Bank dung fossil is a separate individual, like a "special contribution" of a Viking warrior 1,200 years ago.

Love "" you too:

Why are scientists so obsessed?

The average person's first reaction when they see this piece of feces may be: "It's disgusting!" But what archaeologists saw was treasure-level information.

First, it tells us about the eating habits of the Vikings.

Scientific analysis has shown that the "Viking poop king" eats a diet consisting mainly of meat and grains, with little intake of vegetables, fruits or nuts. It seems that the diet of the Vikings is indeed unbalanced, and the concept of vitamins and dietary fiber is completely absent......

More notably, no fruit pits or nut shells were found in the droppings, suggesting that the Viking's diet was far inferior to that of other Vikings at the time. Because in the same archaeological site, researchers found a large number of fruit pits and vegetable seeds, indicating that the Vikings of York at that time did not all eat meat.

Second, it reveals the health of the Vikings.

A large number of whipworm eggs and roundworm eggs were found in the stool, indicating that the Viking was likely to have been infected with parasites for a long time, and his gastrointestinal condition was worrisome.

Scientists speculate that the Vikings may have lived in unhygienic conditions, with drinking water and food easily contaminated and parasites a serious problem. In other words, their "gut system" is almost always in a "fighting state".

Third, it tells us about the toilet culture of the Vikings.

Archaeologists speculate that the Viking may have been constipated for several days before expelling the epic mass. This is not only because of the staggering length of the stool, but also because of its high density and lack of fruit and vegetable fiber, it is likely to be the "crystallization" of a large meat meal.

An expert at the Viking Museum in York even quipped: "The day this Viking warrior defecates, it may be one of the greatest moments of his life." ”

"Comparable to the crown jewel" :

How important is this piece of?

In 1991, the manure received one of the most important appraisals in history. At that time, when experts from the York Archaeological Foundation were insuring museum exhibits, an archaeologist gave an evaluation that shocked the world:

"It's the most exciting piece of poop I've ever seen...... In a way, it is as irreplaceable as the jewel in the crown of the United Kingdom! ”

If you had to give it a valuation, scientists estimate that the feces would be worth at least $39,000.

Since then, Lloyd's Bank dung fossils have become one of York's most talked-about exhibits, attracting thousands of visitors each year for the pilgrimage.

Worth more than gold?

But it has also suffered a "catastrophe"!

In 2003, a school teacher took his students on a tour of the museum when he accidentally knocked over the display case, causing the thousand-year-old feces to fall into three pieces! At that time, the museum staff were almost crying, because this piece of dung is a unique miracle in the archaeological world, and once damaged, it is extremely difficult to repair.

Luckily, the restoration experts were able to "glue it back" with great skill, allowing it to remain in the eyes of the world.

Today, the pile of dung still lies quietly in the Viking Museum in York, welcoming visitors from all over the world.

It goes far beyond an ordinary archaeological find, proving that history is not just about kings, wars and treasures, and that sometimes, a soak of dung from a millennium ago can tell the story of a civilization.

After all, in Valhalla, a Vikings' paradise, the Viking warrior would be proud to know that his "masterpiece" is now a world-renowned archaeological treasure.

Finally, I would like to ask you: what do you think about this? Feel free to discuss with us! (Most British)