Quantitative paleoparasitology applied to archaeological sediments

Abstract

Life in the past can be reconstructed by applying different tools of science to understand ancient events. Combined, these tools offer well sustainable data to base and test hypothesis as they are obtained from different fields of science (Walker 1996). The study of bioanthropology in Southern Patagonia has the contribution of History, Archaeology, Anthropology, and Biology. Paleoparasitology emerged as a branch of Paleopathology and aims the study of parasites found in archaeological and paleontological material. Parasites have been found in coprolites, latrine sediments, mummified tissues, hairs, and many other organic remains (Bouchet et al. 2003a). Sediment associated with skeletons has been less explored than other organic remains in the search for parasites. Latrine and soil sediment recovered from latrines and soil occupied by ancient human populations are the most common examined and studied material (Pike 1968, Moore 1981, Bouchet 1995, Bouchet et al. 1999, 2002, Taek Han et al. 2003, Fernandes et al. 2005; shell middens (Bathurst 2005), artifacts (Harter et al. 2003), and skeleton remains (Aspöck et al. 1996, Bouchet et al. 2001, Dittmar & Teejen 2003 are less studied. Parasite remains are supposed to disperse and be lost in sediments. This is the case of Patagonian steppe sandy sediments submitted to hydric and thermal environmental conditions influencing parasite egg preservation in the soil.Otherwise, sediment collected inside skeletons may offer opportunities to assay paleoepidemiological studies. Skeletons are more commonly found than coprolites, and sex and age can be more easily inferred. Therefore, associated with calibrated dating and well archaeologically and geographically located, skeletons allow obtaining data to associate parasite findings with the human host. Population studies may be approached as far as more skeletons are analyzed.Sediments have been analyzed with paleoparasitological techniques, modified from Stoll technique (Jones 1988, Taek Han et al. 2003, spontaneous sedimentations (Faulkner et al. 2000, Fernandes et al. 2005, sedimentation-flotation (Bouchet 1995, Bouchet et al. 1999, 2001, and combining sedimentation and palynological technique (Reinhard et al. 1992, Dittmar & Teejen 2003. To understand and interpret correctly parasite finds in sediments of each locality of an archaeological site careful analysis is needed (Reinhard 1988). Even though, to better understand the meaning of parasite finds in archaeological sites frequencies must be achieved comparing parasite finds. Therefore, the study of parasites in archaeological sediments requires the use of quantitative techniques to compare the findings of parasites in different samples and controls.We strongly reinforce that this kind of archaeological deposit is very important and the data obtained can be improved combining careful sediment in situ extraction method with quantitative paleoparasitological techniques adapted to this kind of material. We have tested techniques used and recommend a slight modification that im...

Taphonomic considerations of a whipworm infection in a mummy from the Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit, Vilnius, Lithuania

“…The clustering, therefore, is a specific phenomenon relating to the whipworm eggs. Also, in numerous analyses carried out in our labs, we have never before encountered clustering such as this ( Martinson et al, 2003;Santoro et al, 2003;Fugassa et al, 2006Fugassa et al, , 2011Reinhard et al, 2008;Kumm et al, 2010;Jiménez et al, 2012;Rácz et al, 2014).…”

“…Quantification methods have been specified for coprolites (Reinhard et al, 1986;Sianto et al, 2005;Fugassa et al, 2011;Jiménez et al, 2012), latrines (Jones, 1985;Reinhard et al, 1986Reinhard et al, , 2008Warnock and Reinhard, 1992;Fisher et al, 2007;Florenzano et al, 2012), and skeletons (Fugassa et al, 2006). In contrast to these types of source materials, quantification of parasites from mummies has rarely been done.…”

Paleoparasitological results for rodent coprolites from Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

“…Paleoparasitological records of capillariids indicate their ubiquitous presence in several samples and from different archaeological sites (Fugassa 2006, 2007, Fugassa & Barberena 2006, Fugassa et al 2006a, b, 2007a, b, 2008a, b, Sardella & Fugassa 2009. The presence of eggs attributable to Calodium sp., Eucoleus sp.…”

“…Paleoparasitological studies carried out in Argentina are focused on the presence of parasite remains in coprolites, sediments and other materials, from camelids, carnivores, raptor birds, humans and rodents, recovered from Holocenic samples from Patagonia (Fugassa 2006, 2007, Fugassa & Barberena 2006, Fugassa et al 2006a, b, 2007a, b, 2008a, b, Sardella & Fugassa 2009. Regarding rodents, their presence in the area seems to have been relevant because of the presence of their faeces, bones and hairs in all archaeological deposits examined at present and also by the finding of rodent remains and helminth eggs in coprolites of rodents and predators (Fugassa et al 2006b, 2007b, Sardella & Fugassa 2009.…”

Parasitology in an archaeological context: analysis of medieval burials in Nivelles, Belgium

“…To calculate the concentrations of microfossils in the samples, Lycopodium spores were added to each sample (Fugassa et al, 2006). A single Lycopodium tablet (batch 212761) contains approximately 12,500 spores.…”