Ancient poop reveals what the builders of Stonehenge liked to eat

(CNN) Ancient poop found at the site of a prehistoric village near Stonehenge revealed that the settlement's inhabitants -- who likely built the stone circle -- feasted on the internal organs of cattle.

Several pieces of fossilized poop, which scientists call coprolites, were unearthed from a refuse heap at a settlement known as Durrington Walls, just 1.7 miles (2.8 kilometers) from Stonehenge. The village dates back to around 2500 BC, when much of the imposing monument in southwest England was constructed.

Five pieces of poop -- from one human and four dogs -- were found to contain the eggs of parasitic worms.

Ancient human poop was unearthed from Durrington Walls, a prehistoric village near Stonhenge.

The human poop and three of the dog coprolites contained the eggs of capillariid worms, identified in part by their lemon shape. The presence of this type of worm indicated that the person had eaten the raw or undercooked lungs or liver from an already infected animal, which would result in the parasite's eggs passing straight through the digestive system, according to a new study on the fossils.

Capillariid worms infect cattle and other ruminants, suggesting that eating cattle was the most likely source of the parasite, the study authors noted. The dogs may have been fed leftovers.