“Unwanted Guests”: Evidence of Parasitic Infections in Archaeological Mortuary Contexts

Abstract

Parasites have had a significant impact on the course of human history—parasites have caused the deaths of countless individuals, have resulted in the abandonment of settlements, and have even affected the outcome of wars. It is curious, therefore, that archaeologists, even those engaged in dialogues about health, well-being, and sanitation in past populations, have paid relatively little attention to the impact that parasites might have had on those populations. Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore some of the impacts of parasites on relatively recent history, describe the development of the field of parasite studies in archaeology, and outline a variety of laboratory methods that can be used to identify evidence of parasites in archaeological samples. Perhaps once more archaeologists are aware of the importance of parasitological testing of archaeological remains, more informed interpretations of past population health, as it relates to parasitic disease, can be constructed.