Stonehenge builders ate undercooked offal, ancient faeces reveals

Ancient faeces found at a settlement thought to have housed builders of Stonehenge suggests parasites were consumed via badly cooked cow offal during epic winter feasts. Photograph: Lisa-Marie Shillito/PA

Parasite eggs found in 4,500-year-old human faeces suggest the builders of Stonehenge took part in winter feasts that included the internal organs of animals, researchers have revealed.

The huge stone circle of Stonehenge is thought to have been built around 2,500BC, with evidence suggesting the builders were housed at a settlement known as Durrington Walls, about 2 miles away. The site was predominantly occupied in the winter months, and appears to have been used for between 10 to 50 years.