Tapeworm eggs from the genus Taenia sp. were identified during the study of mummy remains dated to 2,286 6 28 BP from the Chehrabad salt mine in northwestern Iran. The presence of tapeworm in this salt mine provides paleopathological information. Moreover, it brings new information on ancient diet, indicating the consumption of raw or undercooked meat. Cultural aspects as well as archaeozoological data are discussed in order to try to detail meat consumption. Paleoparasitological data are rare in the Middle East, and this case study presents the first recovery of parasites in ancient Iran. It constitutes the earliest evidence of ancient intestinal parasites in this country and contributes to the knowledge of gastrointestinal pathogens in the Near East.

Journal of Parasitology, 2010

Scientific Reports, 2024

The subsistence economies of prehistoric pastoralists of the Eurasian steppes have long been viewed through an oversimplified model of reliance on domesticated animals. This conceptualization has begun to shift dramatically through the introduction of scientific analyses, pivoting towards an evidence-based interpretation of economic flexibility and adaptive heterogeneity. Here we provide insights into the dietary practices of Iron Age pastoralists in Siberia through an archaeoparasitological analysis. Soil samples from the Tunnug 1 site in southern Siberia reveal the presence of helminth eggs of Taenia sp. (likely), Trichuris sp., and Dibothriocephalus sp. This indicates that the diet of the analysed prehistoric population might have included beef and did include freshwater fish, occasionally consumed in undercooked or raw form. Despite the primary reliance on pastoralism and possibly small-scale millet agriculture, these populations engaged in diverse dietary practices, including fish consumption. Additionally, the presence of Trichuris sp. eggs points to poor sanitary conditions, possible consumption of contaminated plant foods, and the contamination of drinking water with feces. By providing direct evidence of dietary habits, archaeoparasitology complements isotopic analyses and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the subsistence strategies.

This paper presents paleoparasitological results from the Kikki-Akki burial ground dating from 17th to the early 19th centuries. Examination of sacrum projection and sacral foramina samples revealed helminth eggs of Diphyllobothrium latum. It proves that the Taz Selkups consumed thermally untreated or slightly treated fish. A high rate of Diphyllobothriasis in the contemporaneity Selkup group in the area under study points to a continuation of the same dietary habits. This study estimated parasite prevalence rate in the Taz Selkup population who used the Kikki-Akki burial ground, and attempted to reconstruct early humans' dietary habits and health status. Presence of helminth alternate hosts in different geographical locations allowed us to reconstruct human migration paths in West Siberia.

Antiquity, 2018

The identification of parasites in ancient human remains can address questions of past health, disease, mobility and mortuary customs. Archaeoparasitological evidence from Russia is, however, almost absent. This study presents the first such evidence in the form of a helminth infection in a mummified individual from the southern Siberian site of Doge-Bary II, the burial ground of a nomadic Iron Age community. Despite the removal of the intestines as part of the mummification procedure, the residual eggs of Trichuris trichiura, a non-indigenous species of whipworm, were detected. This evidence provides the first confirmation of prehistoric contact between southern Siberian nomads and distant agricultural areas, such as China and Central Asia.

A B S T R A C T It has been argued that the human digestive system is morphologically smaller and physiologically more efficient at digestion and absorption than those of apes, and that it resembles the GI tracts of carnivores. Numerous references to humans eating meat emphasise archaeological and cultural evidence for the abundance and antiquity of this practice.

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2018

Eggs from an intestinal parasite has been found in a burial radiocarbon dated to 5210-4840 cal BC in Motala, east-central Sweden. The two helminth eggs are identified as Trichuris trichiura (human whipworm). Control samples from the cemetery site were all negative and confirmed that there was no evident contamination of younger material. This discovery raises new questions concerning the early geographical spread and timing of parasitic diseases among hunter-gatherer societies in northern Europe, and in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Whipworm infection (Trichuriasis) is perhaps the disease most associated with crowding and poor sanitation, and as it manifests itself in the youngest dated burial, it could be a contributing factor to the final abandonment of the Mesolithic settlement. Also, parasite eggs found in a soil sample from the Neolithic Alvastra pile dwelling could indicate the continued presence of the Trichuris parasite in east-central Sweden. Generally, parasite ecology can aid in reconstructing human behaviors that include aspects of sedentism, mobility, food preferences, hygiene and other social practices.

International Journal of Paleopathology, 2013

A review of previous and original paleoparasitological investigations of animal dung deposits in Mongolia, Middle Asia, North Caucasus, and central European part of Russia is carried out. The age of deposits with helminth remains spans from ca. 38,000 years BP to premodern times. The composition of helminthes found in ancient feces of animals allows evaluation nutritional parameters of the past, and provides information on animal husbandry.

We present a paleoparasitological analysis of the medieval Zeleniy Yar burial ground of the XII-XII centuries AD located in the northern part of Western Siberia. Parasite eggs, identified as eggs of Opisthorchis felineus, were found in the samples from the pelvic area of a one year old infant buried at the site. Presence of these eggs in the soil samples from the infant’s abdomen suggests that he/she was infected with opisthorchiasis and imply consumption of undercooked fish. Ethnographic records collected among the population of the northern part of Western Siberia reveal numerous cases of feeding raw fish to their children. Zeleniy Yar case of opisthorchiasis suggests that this dietary custom has persisted from at least medieval times.

The Korean Journal of Parasitology, 2019

The aim of this parasitological study is examining contemporary (the late 20th century) specimens of the arctic or subarctic areas in Western Siberia and comparing them with the information acquired from archaeological samples from the same area. In the contemporary specimens, we observed the parasite eggs of 3 different species: Opisthochis felineus, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Enterobius vermicularis. Meanwhile, in archaeoparasitological results of Vesakoyakha, Kikki-Akki, and Nyamboyto I burial grounds, the eggs of Diphyllobothrium and Taenia spp. were found while no nematode (soil-transmitted) eggs were observed in the same samples. In this study, we concluded helminth infection pattern among the arctic and subarctic peoples of Western Siberia throughout history as follows: the raw fish-eating tradition did not undergo radical change in the area at least since the 18th century; and A. lumbricoides or E. vermicularis did not infect the inhabitants of this area before 20th century. ...