Ancient horse poo sheds light on Hannibal's march

No horsing around: Historians and classicists have long had serious debates on the exact route Hannibal took into Italy.

LONDON: The route taken by Hannibal over the Alps to invade Italy has been a matter of debate for 2,000 years, but scientists may now have the answer – thanks to some ancient horse poo.

More than 15,000 horses and 37 elephants accompanied the 30,000-strong Carthaginian army in a march on the Roman Republic in 218 BC, which sparked years of bloody conflict.