Implications of the prevalence of Ascaris sp. in the funerary context of a Late Antique population (5th-7th c.) in Granada (Spain).
Int J Paleopathol
; 43: 45-50, 2023 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37738817
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites in human remains from Late Antiquity (5th - 7th c.) Granada (Spain). MATERIALS: The study included pelvic and cranial control samples from 17 skeletons from the archaeological sites of Los Mondragones (n = 13) and Rafael Guillén (n = 4). METHODS: In the paleoparasitological study, soil samples from pelvic area and cranium were analyzed using the rehydration, homogenization, and micro-sieving method and visualization under brightfield microscopy. RESULTS: Ascaris sp. eggs were detected in pelvic samples from seven individuals. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may indicate that this parasite was endemic. Its detection frequency is one of the highest reported at group level in an osteological series from Late Antiquity. SIGNIFICANCE: The prevalence of Ascaris sp. associated with skeletal remains has implications for assessing the lifestyle and health of populations in southern Spain during the Late Antique period. LIMITATIONS: The number of individuals is small and taphonomic processes could have limited paleoparasitological findings SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Future interdisciplinary studies of this type are warranted in larger osteological series to improve knowledge of parasitosis in the past.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Ascaris
/
Enteropatias Parasitárias
Tipo de estudo:
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Caribe ingles
/
Europa
/
Grenada
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Paleopathol
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de publicação:
Holanda