First paleoparasitological analysis in archaeological samples of Northwest Pampa region (Laguna Mar Chiquita, province of Córdoba, Argentina)

FABRA, MARIANA; RAMIREZ, DARIO ALEJANDRO; FERRERO, MERCEDES

Buenos Aires

Jornada; VI Paleopathological Meeting in South America, (VI PAMINSA); 2015

Paleopathology Association

The aim of this paper is to present the first steps of paleoparasitological analysis applied to samples of sediment from the pelvic cavity-taken during fieldwork- and sacral foramina -following Fugassa et al. 2008- of two archaeological individuals from El Diquecito site (south coast Laguna Mar Chiquita, Córdoba, Argentina), dated by AMS in 1192 ± 140 and 537 ± 57 14C years BP, which can be ascribed to hunter-gathering and agriculture populations, respectively. While bioarchaeological research have been previously conducted in this region (González and Fabra 2011; Fabra et al. 2012, Salega and Fabra 2013; Tavarone 2014, Nores and Demarchi, 2011; Nores et al., 2011, Fabra 2014. Fabra et al. 2014a, 2014b; Fabra and Gordillo 2014), this would be the first time that microscopic and immunological techniques are applied to detect the presence of parasitic fauna in archaeological populations, and diseases that could have caused. In particular, we are interested in a) detect the presence of parasitic remains in these individuals, potentially suggesting parasitic infections in archaeological populations, b) estimate the overall health conditions, c) contribute to the study of living conditions of these populations, type of settlement and cultural practices that may have favored the development of certain parasitic infections, d) infer paleoclimatic issues, since not all species of parasites develop their life cycles under the same climatic conditions, and e) compare the effectiveness of the different techniques used. Regarding the methodology, three techniques are applied to concentrate parasitic remains, prior to its observation under the microscope; two qualitative: spontaneous sedimentation (Lutz 1919) and flotation (Sheater technique) in saturated solution of sucrose and one quantitative: Stoll modified technique (Fugassa et al. 2006). According to archaeological and bioanthropological evidence for this region at the end of Late Holocene, factors such as population nucleation, or deterioration in health conditions could have favored the presence of intestinal parasitosis -such as Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides-.