First paleoparasitological study of an embalming rejects jar found in Saqqara, Egypt

Abstract

For the first time, a jar of embalming rejects was studied in search for helminth parasite eggs. This kind of jar was used to put discarded material by Egyptian embalmers during mummification process. Ascaris lumbricoides and Taenia saginata eggs were found in the linen and strip fragment contents of the jar, dated of 2,715-2,656 years ago.

Mecanismos de atención materno infantiles en dos contextos comparativos: México-Beijing

“…According to these authors, T. trichiura infection can led to rectal prolapse, while massive infections with A. lumbricoides can cause fatal intestinal blockage. They are both identified as geohelminths and are protected by a chitin shell, adapted to their life stage in the soil (Wharton, 1980), allowing for better preservation in archeological contexts (Harter et al, 2003). Both species are widely spread across European archeological sites (Bouchet et al, 2003a;Gonçalves et al, 2003), including in the Iberian Peninsula (Hidalgo-Argüello et al, 2003;Botella et al, 2010;Sianto et al, 2015a;2015b;2015c).…”

New paleoparasitological techniques

“…In some cases, some authors [23] added 5% glycerine to intensify the hydration. The trisodium phosphate was initially used by Van Cleave and Ross [47] to rehydrate dried zoological specimens, later applied for the recovery of parasites from coprolites by Callen and Cameron [11] and Samuels [42] confirmed the concentration to be used.…”

Paleoepidemiology of Intestinal Parasites and Lice in Pre-Columbian South America

“…Parasites and parasitic disease have cultural expressions as represented in Moche ceramic art (Heck 2004). The use of regular parasitological techniques, modified and adapted to paleoparasitological research increased and expanded parasite findings to other kinds of archaeological remains Harter et al 2003;Harter-Lailheugue and Bouchet 2006).…”