A First Case of Human Trichuriasis from a Roman Lead Coffin in France

Dufour, Benjamin; Segard, Maxence; Bailly, Matthieu Le

doi:10.3347/kjp.2016.54.5.625

Cited by 14 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Whipworm and roundworm have been found together at Roman period sites in Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, and the Netherlands (Anastasiou et al, 2017;Aspöck et al, 1999;Bouchet et al, 2001;Boyer, 1999;Gourevitch et al, 2011;Jansen and Over, 1962;Jones, 1985;Jones, 1987;Jones and Hutchison, 1991;Knights et al, 1983;Kuijper and Turner, 1992;Pike, 1968;Rouffignac, 1985;Rousset et al, 1996;Wilson and Rackham, 1976;Zias et al, 2006). However, there are also four sites where roundworm has been found without whipworm (Dittmar et al, 2002;Harter, 2003;Aspöck et al, 2011;Williams et al, 2017), and six sites where whipworm has been found without roundworm (Witenberg, 1961;de Moulins, 1990;Carrott et al, 1995;van Geel et al, 2003;Heirbaut et al, 2011;Dufour et al, 2016). The sample type does not appear to affect the preservation of these two parasites, as both species occur in latrine sediment, mummified remains, pelvic soil, and occupation layer sediment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intestinal parasites from public and private latrines and the harbour canal in Roman Period Ephesus, Turkey (1st c. BCE to 6th c. CE)

Ledger

Stock

Schwaiger

et al. 2018

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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To improve our knowledge of the parasite species affecting the inhabitants of Roman period Asia Minor, we analysed faecal material from Ephesus, Turkey. Mineralised material from the drain from a private house latrine (3 rd c. CE), sediment samples from the sewer drain of a public communal latrine (6 th c. CE), and sediment from the harbour canal (ca. 1 st c. BCE to ca. 6 th c. CE) were studied for the presence of intestinal parasites. Samples were viewed by light microscopy for helminth eggs, and commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to test for protozoal parasites that cause dysentery. Eggs of roundworm were found in the public latrine, whipworm in the house latrine, and both whipworm and roundworm in the harbour canal. Sequential sampling of the harbour core suggests that whipworm was by far the most common parasite throughout the Roman period, and there was no clear evidence for change in parasite species over the centuries.Whipworm and roundworm are both spread by the contamination of food and drink by human faeces. Despite the large number of travellers to Ephesus, as the capital of its province and a major port city in the Roman Empire, there was a surprising lack of diversity in parasite species found. This is especially apparent when we consider that ten species of intestinal parasite have been found across the Roman Empire. This is the first Roman site to be directly assessed for differences between infection in individuals using private latrines, public latrines, and mixed town effluent (in the harbour) at the same site.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intestinal parasites from public and private latrines and the harbour canal in Roman Period Ephesus, Turkey (1st c. BCE to 6th c. CE)

Ledger

Stock

Schwaiger

et al. 2018

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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“…To our knowledge, only 2 stone sarcophagi have been analyzed in paleoparasitology up to now, both from the same Roman site of Jaunay-Clan, in France. In these burials, one of the 2 individuals tested positive to the human whipworm Trichuris trichiura [8].…”

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Paleoparasitology of Merovingian Corpses Buried in Stone Sarcophagi in the Saint-Martin-au-Val Church (Chartres, France)

Dufour¹,

Portat²,

Bazin³

et al. 2019

Korean J Parasitol

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Paleoparasitological analysis was carried on 4 Merovingian skeletons, dated from the late-5th to the late-9th centuries, and recovered in the church of Saint-Martin-au-Val in Chartres (Center region, France). The corpses were buried in stone sarcophagi, which were still sealed at the time of excavation. Parasite marker extraction was conducted on sediment samples taken from the abdominal and pelvic regions, but also on samples taken from under the head and the feet as control samples. Microscopic observation revealed the presence of 3 gastrointestinal parasites, namely the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and the fish tapeworm (genus Diphyllobothrium). This analysis contributes to a better knowledge of the health status and the lifestyle of ancient medieval populations during the Merovingian period, for which very few paleoparasitological data were available, up until now. It demonstrates the presence of the fish tapeworm for the first time during this period.

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Bioarchaeology in the Roman Empire

Killgrove

2020

Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology

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A First Case of Human Trichuriasis from a Roman Lead Coffin in France

Cited by 14 publications

References 11 publications

Intestinal parasites from public and private latrines and the harbour canal in Roman Period Ephesus, Turkey (1st c. BCE to 6th c. CE)

Intestinal parasites from public and private latrines and the harbour canal in Roman Period Ephesus, Turkey (1st c. BCE to 6th c. CE)

Paleoparasitology of Merovingian Corpses Buried in Stone Sarcophagi in the Saint-Martin-au-Val Church (Chartres, France)

Bioarchaeology in the Roman Empire

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