A mummy microbiome hides inside 1,000-year-old poop

The gut contents act like a microscopic time machine into pre-Hispanic Mexico. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Underneath the remains of an ancient young adult man and his preserved feces lies a microscopic world. These microorganisms beneath the cloth hold clues to what the world may have looked like hundreds of years ago. Now, a new look at a 1,000-year-old mummy called the Zimapán man could tell us what ancient Mesoamericans ate, where they lived, and show us how much our world has changed since.