Archaeologists are probably not aware how much they owe to worms for the preservation of many ancient objects. Coins, gold ornaments, stone implements, &c., if dropped on the surface of the ground, will infallibly be buried by the castings of worms in a few years, and will thus be safely preserved, until the land at some future time is turned up.

The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms, Chapter IV (p. 178), D. Appleton & Co. 1909