A Mimbres Burial with Associated Colon Remains from the NAN Ranch Ruin, New Mexico

Abstract

The skeletal remains of an adult male associated with desiccated tissue and a coprolite were recovered from an open-air midden deposit at the NAN Ranch Ruin (LA15049), a large Mimbres site in Grant County, New Mexico. The find dates to about A.C. 1000–1100. Identifiable macroscopic elements in the coprolite consist of finely fragmented corn and tiny seed fragments of an unknown plant. High amounts of willow (Salix) and mustard (Brassicaceae) pollen may indicate the ingestion of medicinal plants to combat a deteriorating health condition. The individual was approximately 35–40 years old at the time of death and suffered from numerous pathological disorders including a basioccipital tumor, osteoarthritis, spondylolysis, and a sacral deformity. The find illustrates that conditions do exist at open sites in arid environments of North America that preserve desiccated coprolites with burials. When coprolite analysis is combined with osteological studies significant information on health care and diet can be obtained.

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