Paleoparasitological remains revealed by seven historic contexts from "Place d'Armes", Namur, Belgium
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
101(supl.2): 43-52, Dec. 2006. mapas, tab, ilus
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-441342
ABSTRACT
Human occupation for several centuries was recorded in the archaeological layers of "Place d'Armes", Namur, Belgium. Preventive archaeological excavations were carried out between 1996/1997 and seven historical strata were observed, from Gallo-Roman period up to Modern Times. Soil samples from cesspools, latrines, and structures-like were studied and revealed intestinal parasite eggs in the different archaeological contexts. Ascaris lumbricoides, A. suum, Trichuris trichiura, T. suis. Taenia sp., Fasciola hepatica, Diphyllobothrium sp., Capillaria sp. and Oxyuris equi eggs were found. Paleoparasitology confirmed the use of structures as latrines or cesspit as firstly supposed by the archaeologists. Medieval latrines were not only used for rejection of human excrements. The finding of Ascaris sp. and Trichuris sp. eggs may point to human's or wild swine's feces. Gallo-Roman people used to eat wild boar. Therefore, both A. suum and T. suis, or A. lumbricoides and T. trichuris, may be present, considering a swine carcass recovered into a cesspit. Careful sediment analysis may reveal its origin, although parasites of domestic animals can be found together with those of human's. Taenia sp. eggs identified in latrine samples indicate ingestion of uncooked beef with cysticercoid larvae. F. hepatica eggs suggest the ingestion of raw contaminated vegetables and Diphyllobothrium sp. eggs indicate contaminated fresh-water fish consumption. Ascaris sp. and Trichuris sp. eggs indicate fecal-oral infection by human and/or animal excrements.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Toilet Facilities
/
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
2006
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
/
France
Institution/Affiliation country:
Fiocruz/BR
/
Université de Reims/FR
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