Implications of the prevalence of Ascaris sp. in the funerary context of a Late Antique population (5th-7th c.) in Granada (Spain)

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.