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Nearly 1,000 coprolites from the desert west of the United States have been analyzed for parasite remains (Reinhard, 1990, 1992). Although arthropod parasites are rare, they are occasionally found in coprolites. The discovery of lice in human coprolites led Fry (1977) to conclude that arthropods were consumed to control infestation. In 2005, we commenced the dietary and parasitological analysis of coprolites from Antelope Cave in the northwestern corner of Arizona. At this site, we discovered a tick from a coprolite. This discovery has health, behavioral, and ecological implications for the Puebloan people that once occupied the cave.
Antelope Cave is a large limestone cavern sunk into the gently rolling terrain of the Uinkaret Plateau some 40 km southeast of St. George, Utah. Prehistoric Native Americans occupied it, probably intermittently, for at least 3,000 yr (2028 B.C. to A.D. 1100). The most intense habitation of the cave is attributed to Ancestral Puebloan peoples (Anasazi) who lived there 1,300 to 1,000 yr ago. Antelope Cave lies within the Virgin River Branch of prehistoric western Anasazi territory, and the great majority of artifacts (for example, woven fiber sandals, plaited basketry, Virgin series pottery) in the cave reflects Puebloan (Kayenta) affiliation. There is scant evidence of Fremont cultural influence from the north in Utah. Cultural debris left in the cave by its prehistoric inhabitants forms a 1.52-m-thick layer and contains mostly perishable artifacts, including wooden arrow shafts, basketry, string, netting, sandals, needles and thread, etc., as well as painted pottery and various lithic tools. The Pueblo people used the cave for shelter, and in the surrounding area, they grew corn and beans, gathered wild plant foods, and hunted game, mostly rabbits.
Professional archaeologists have conducted excavations in the cave, off and on, since 1954 (Janetski and Hall, 1983; Janetski and Wilde, 1989). The most extensive excavations were undertaken by the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1959–1960 (Johnson and Pendergast, 1960). The coprolite specimen discussed here was recovered by UCLA and came from 1,000-yr-old Pueblo deposits at the rear of the cave. The date is based on cross-dated Anasazi artifacts pending C14 assay.
In 1959, archaeologists from UCLA excavated five 2 × 2 m pits into the midden deposit of Antelope Cave. The excavation units were designated AC59-1 through...