Molecular archaeoparasitology identifies cultural changes in the Medieval Hanseatic trading centre of Lubeck.

ABSTRACT: Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms, and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures. Faecal-oral transmitted nematodes (Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura) were ubiquitous across time and space. By contrast, high numbers of food-associated cestodes (Diphyllobothrium latum and Taenia saginata) were restricted to medieval Lübeck. The presence of these cest

SUBMITTER: Flammer PG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6191690 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature