Parasites and parasitic diseases in prehistoric human populations in Central Europe

Evidence of parasites and thus parasitic diseases in prehistoric human popu lations in Central Europe has been gained from coprolites and palaeofaeces preserved in salt mineral, samples of soil contaminated with palaeofaeces, textiles, bog mummies and from the famous glacier mummy. So far the followi ng parasites were found tin brackets oldest records): Trichuris trichiura ( 5200-5300 yrs), Ascaris lumbricoides (3500 yrs), Ancylostoma duodenale (350 0 yrs), Taenia sp. (> 2000 yrs), Diphyllobothrium sp. (5000-5100 yrs), Dicr ocoelium dendriticum (> 2000 yrs) and Fasciola hepatica(5000-5100 yrs), and Pediculus h. humanus (> 2300 yrs). So far, no protozoa could be discovered in prehistoric remains in Central Europe. T. trichiura was probably one of the predominant parasites of man in prehis toric periods and also Ascaris was at least fi om the second millennium BC onwards a frequent parasites. Both these findings reflect the poor standard of hygiene. The finding of eggs of Taenia sp. indicates that the salt-mine rs in Hallein ate raw or insufficiently cooked meat, whereas Diphyllobothri um is an indication of consumption of raw fish. Whether Dicrocoelium dendri ticum and Fasciola hepatica were real parasites or whether the findings of eggs reflect pseudoparasitism (by uptake of raw liver of sheep), is still u nclear. Also parasitism due to Ancylostoma duodenale needs confirmation.