Intestinal helminths as a biomolecular complex in archaeological research

Abstract

Enteric helminths are common parasites in many parts of the world and in the past were much more widespread both geographically and socially. Many enteric helminths are relatively long-lived in the human host, often benign or of low pathogenicity while producing large numbers of environmentally resistant eggs voided in the faeces or found associated with individual remains (skeletons and mummies). The combination of helminth characters offers opportunities to the field of historical pathogen research that are quite different to that of some of the more intensively studied high impact pathogens. Historically, a wealth of studies has employed microscopic techniques to diagnose infection using the morphology of the helminth eggs. More recently, various ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches have been applied in the archaeoparasitological context and these are revolutionizing the field, allowing much more specific diagnosis as well as interrogating the epidemiology of helminths. These advances have enhanced the potential for the field to provide unique information on past populations including using diseases to consider many aspects of life (e.g. sanitation, hygiene, diet, culinary practices and other aspects of society). Here, we consider the impact of helminth archaeoparasitology and more specifically the impact and potential for application of aDNA technologies as a part of the archaeologists' toolkit. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Insights into health and disease from ancient biomolecules’.

Insights into health and disease from ancient biomolecules

“…Flammer & Smith [30] who review the ancient DNA research to date on helminths such as ascarids and tapeworms to reveal what we can learn from these organisms about diet, mobility and health in the past as well as prospects for future research.…”

“…The authors note that the challenge then lies in the teasing apart; while they demonstrate that remarkable information of host-associated microbial genomes is preserved, substantial database gaps impede the work. Valuable health information does not necessarily require a perfect microbiome profile as shown by Flammer & Smith [30] who review the ancient DNA research to date on helminths such as ascarids and tapeworms to reveal what we can learn from these organisms about diet, mobility and health in the past as well as prospects for future research.…”

Paleoparasitological Contributions to the Study on Ancient Infections of Hominids and Other Vertebrates in Brazil: A Review

“…The southeast region has the greatest number of paleoparasitological records due to the efforts carried out with a large amount of ancient material, collected in the State of Minas Gerais. Helminth eggs, especially those of Nematoda, have been the most common parasitic forms described in fossils and subfossils, since they are resistance stages for environmental variables (Gonçalves et al, 2003;Flammer & Smith, 2020). In some cases, genera and even new species are identified based on this material.…”

“…In this sense, the Paleoparasitology has expanded the biological knowledge about the parasitic infections and provided sociocultural insights into the past civilizations, since helminths and protozoans can be used as biological indicators of behavioral, socioeconomic and environmental conditions in the present (Flammer & Smith, 2020).…”

First molecular data on the human roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides species complex from the Bronze and Iron Age in Hallstatt, Austria

“…Depending on the external conditions, it takes around 3–6 weeks for the eggs to become infective. The occurrence of roundworms and whipworms is an indication of poor sanitation and hygiene 18 . In Hallstatt, particularly during the Iron Age, hygiene conditions in the mines were obviously low, as cooking, eating and defecation were accomplished at the same spots.…”