Assessing the Parasitic Burden in a Late Antique Florentine Emergency Burial Site

Excavation (2008–2014) carried out under the Uffizi Gallery (Florence, Italy) led to the discovery of 75 individuals, mostly buried in multiple graves. Based on Roman minted coins, the graves were preliminarily dated between the second half of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th centuries CE. Taphonomy showed that this was an emergency burial site associated with a catastrophic event, possibly an epidemic of unknown etiology with high mortality rates. In this perspective, paleoparasitological investigations were performed on 18 individuals exhumed from 9 multiple graves to assess the burden of gastrointestinal parasitism. Five out of eighteen individuals (27.7%) tested positive for ascarid-type remains; these are considered as “decorticated” Ascaris eggs, which have lost their outer mammillated coat. Roundworms (genus Ascaris) commonly infest human populations under dire sanitary conditions. Archaeological and historical evidence indicates that Florentia suffered a period of economic crisis between the end of 4th and the beginning of the 5th centuries CE, and that the aqueduct was severely damaged at the beginning of the 4th century CE, possibly during the siege of the Goths (406 CE). It is more than plausible that the epidemic, possibly coupled with the disruption of the aqueduct, deeply affected the living conditions of these individuals. A 27.7% frequency suggests that ascariasis was widespread in this population. This investigation exemplifies how paleoparasitological information can be retrieved from the analysis of sediments sampled in cemeteries, thus allowing a better assessment of the varying frequency of parasitic infections among ancient populations.

Dental caries at Lapa do Santo, central-eastern Brazil: An Early Holocene archaeological site

ABSTRACT The origin and dispersion of the first Americans have been extensively investigated from morphological and genetic perspectives, but few studies have focused on their health and lifestyle. The archaeological site of Lapa do Santo, central-eastern Brazil, has exceptionally preserved Early Holocene human skeletons, providing 19 individuals with 327 permanent and 122 deciduous teeth dated to 9,250 to 7,500 years BP. In this study, we test whether the inhabitants of Lapa do Santo had high prevalence of dental caries as previous studies of Lagoa Santa collection have indicated, using individual and tooth as units of analyses. The results show a high prevalence of dental caries in the permanent dentition (5.50%, n=327 teeth; 69.23%, n=13 individuals) compared to other samples of hunter-gatherers worldwide. In addition, dental caries in deciduous teeth start occurring as early as 3 to 4 years old, suggesting an early start to caries. Compared with other samples from Lagoa Santa, Lapa do Santo shows statistically similar prevalence of overall caries but different caries location pattern. We believe that a subsistence adaptation to a tropical environment rich in sources of carbohydrates, such as fruits, is the best explanation for the overall caries prevalence.

Bioarchaeological Studies on Ancient Human Skeletons in Korea / 체질인류학회지

Due to poor preservation of human skeletons at most of archaeological sites, few specialists have carried out limited number of analysis of human bones and fossils in Korea. Worship of ancestor remains and poor development of bioarchaeology in the past may have prevented preservation and analysis of human bones. However, cases of extensive analysis with various methods, including DNA analysis, carbon isotope analysis, pathological analysis etc. have been increased very rapidly in recent years and make meaningful contribution to archaeological explanations of sites and ancient society. Development and rigorous application of various methodologies, in conjunction with related fields such as history and ethnography, to extensive analysis of human bone remains is highly recommendable even for the human remains excavated previously.

A Review of Codes of Ethics in the United States and Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) / 체질인류학회지

A growing number of studies related to human remains in Korea highlight the need for developing professional ethics codes and laws that govern disposition and treatment of human remains. In order to provide models for developing ethics codes and regulations relevant to the field of biological anthropology in Korea, the current paper presents a review of ethics codes in the United States related to the procurement, curation, and study of human remains. In the first half of the paper, we provide a full treatment of ethics codes of major professional organizations, including code definition, development, and revision. The latter half of the paper is dedicated to discussions of ethical issues surrounding a United States federal law, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and a high-profile case of the Kennewick man, the Ancient One. These two examples will demonstrate the difficulty in anticipating ethical issues and unintended misconduct in the course of research. NAGPRA and the Kennewick Man further emphasize three simple yet important take-home points for biological anthropologists and other professionals working with human remains: 1) to be reflective about potential ethical issues related to their research, 2) to be collaborative and encourage involvement of descendant communities at all stages of research, and 3) to be respectful of different worldviews of death between (sub)cultures. Finally, we close our discussion with possible sources of ethical conflicts in Korea to help prepare biological anthropologists as more excavations of human remains take place in Korea.