Ancient Soil-Transmitted Parasite Eggs Detected from the Sixth Century Three Kingdom Period Silla Tomb

Abstract

The parasitic infection patterns of the Joseon period have begun to be revealed in a series of paleoparasitological studies. However, parasitism prevailing during or before the Three Kingdom period is still relatively unexplored. In the present study, we therefore conducted parasitological examinations of soil and organic-material sediments precipitated upon human hipbone and sacrum discovered inside an ancient Mokgwakmyo tomb dating to the Silla Dynasty (57 BCE–660 CE). Within the samples, we discovered ancient Ascaris lumbricoides (eggs per gram [EPG], 46.6–48.3) and Trichuris trichiura (EPG, 32.8–62.1) eggs, the species commonly detected among Korean populations until just prior to the 1970s. These findings show that soil-transmitted parasitic infection among the Silla nobility might not have been uncommon. This is the first-ever report on the presence of ancient parasite eggs in the samples obtained from a Three Kingdom period tomb; and it also presents the earliest positive results for any of the ancient South Korean tombs paleoparasitologically examined to date.

Paleoparasitology research on ancient helminth eggs and larvae in the Republic of Korea

“…The first investigation of this mummy was done in 2002, and later biomedical workups were performed on the same mummy in 2005 [ 6 ]. Until the present, at least 9 articles reported the detection of A. lumbricoides eggs either in the coprolites within the mummy’s intestines or in the soil sediment located near the hip bones or sacrum of the dead body [ 6 , 18 , 21 , 23 , 26 , 29 , 31 , 33 , 35 ]. The surface ultrastructure [ 20 ] and molecular characteristics [ 10 , 15 , 16 ] of A. lumbricoides eggs were also studied.…”

“…1 , no. 25) dating to the Three Kingdom period Silla Dynasty, about 1,500 years before the present (BP) [ 31 ]. Studies conducted in 2021 and 2023 added 16th–17th century mummies from Gwangmyeong ( Fig.…”

“…From mummy specimens, the eggs of T. trichiura were first detected in 2007 in fecal samples of a child mummy from Yangju dating to the 17th century [ 6 ]. Including this report, at least 10 articles have been reported regarding the detection of T. trichiura eggs either in the feces or coprolites within the mummy’s intestines or in the mummy soil near the hip bones, sacrum, or basal layer of the dead body [ 6 , 8 , 18 , 21 , 26 , 29 , 31 , 33 , 35 , 40 ]. Lee et al in 2009 [ 8 ] detected T. trichiura eggs in the feces of a male mummy excavated at Gangneung ( Fig.…”

“…36), Yeounggwang-1, Yeounggwang-2, Dalsung, Hwasung, and Seoul (Junggye) dating to the 15th–18th century. The organic material (precipitates) on the hip bones and sacrum in a dead human body excavated at Gyeongju-2 dating to the 6th century (Three Kingdom period, Silla Dynasty) was the oldest human-source archaeological material ever examined in Korea in which T. trichiura eggs were found [ 31 ]. Oh et al [ 33 , 35 ] added 6 more mummies positive for T. trichiura eggs from Goryeong ( Fig.…”

“…The next study was the examination of the archaeological soil in Chilgok area, Daegu in 2003, dating to the Unified Silla period (668-935 CE), where A. lumbricoides eggs (fertilized, 55.0 ± 3.7 μm long and 49.4 ± 2.2 μm wide, and unfertilized, 80.0 μm long and 50.0 μm wide) were found [5]. Since then, at least 25 studies (including the above 2) have been published (Table 1) [4][5][6]10,[14][15][16][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35].…”