Ancient Corpses Research Articles

A Personal View of How Paleomicrobiology Aids Our Understanding of the Role of Lice in Plague Pandemics.

We have been involved in the field of paleomicrobiology since 1998, when we used dental pulp to identify Yersinia pestis as the causative agent of the great plague of Marseille (1720). We recently designed a specific technique, "suicide PCR," that can prevent contamination. A controversy arose between two teams, with one claiming that DNA must be altered to amplify it and the other group claiming that demographic data did not support the role of Y. pestis in the Black Death (i.e., the great plague of the Middle Ages). These controversies led us to evaluate other epidemiological models and to propose the body louse as the vector of this pandemic. This proposal was substantiated by experimental models, the recovery of Y. pestis from lice in the Congo, and the identification of epidemics involving both Y. pestis and Bartonella quintana (the agent of trench fever, transmitted by the body louse) in ancient corpses from mass graves. Paleomicrobiology has led to a re-evaluation of plague pandemics.

Morphometry of the corpus callosum and its possible clinical correlations

IntroductionThe corpus callosum is a brain structure located in the longitudinal fissure, responsible for the connection between the right and left cerebral hemispheres. It has the largest amount of white matter in the brain, has from 200 to 250 million contralateral axon projections.ObjectiveTo carry out the morphometry of the amplitude of the corpus callosum in search of a standardization of its measurement and its possible relevant clinical relations.Materials and MethodsThe authors conducted the morphology of the corpus callosum by manual caliper in 30 human brains (n = 30), in the anatomical center I of University José do Rosário Vellano (Alfenas‐MG), set by local conservation methods. The pictures were taken with a camera of 8 MP and a resolution of 3264 × 2448 pixel.Resultsit was found that there was a predominant value of 72 mm for the full extent of the corpus callosum, there are corresponding 16,66% incidence.ConclusionThe study aims to carry out the standardization of the measurement of the corpus callosum and its prevalence rate in human brains of the population, it was hypothesized a possible change of morphology in the corpus callosum of individuals who have experienced trauma. Since the demand for ancient corpses guess necropsy, which generally evidenced head trauma accompanied by increased intracranial pressure, subdural hematoma and compression of longitudinal fissure.

Short Review: Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Ancient Mummies.

Noninvasive imaging of ancient tissues is of increasing interest in palaeopathological studies, with conventional X-ray and computed tomography currently considered the diagnostic gold standard. Convenitional X-ray has a long tradition, yet imaging of ancient mummies using conventional X-ray technique has its drawbacks too. Until recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of soft tissues was successful with ancient dry tissues only after morphology-altering rehydration. This process was deemed necessary due to the previous reported lack of unbound protons. Hitherto, any approach without rehydration of the historic samples failed. Yet, the successful application of novel MRI techniques allows broadening of the methodological spectrum of methods for noninvasive studies on ancient corpses, whether they have wet or dry soft tissue, or bone. Spatial discrimination of chemical elements can now be carried out with high sensitivity in any historic specimen, leading to an increased level of diagnostic evidence.

Ancient Corpses as Curiosities: Mummymania in the Age of Early Travel

During the 19th to early 20th centuries, when “Egyptomania” swept the western world, swathes of travelers and tourists ventured to Egypt to indulge their obsessive interest in the land of the Nile. These early travelers enjoyed access to Egypt’s ancient past to an extent unimaginable today, and many returned with mummy souvenirs that now fill museum collections around the globe. An examination of the many personal travelogues published in this period provides insight into Victorian “mummymania” and the lengths to which early travelers often went to procure a mummy as a memento of their time spent in the land of the Nile.

Comparison of ancient and modern Clonorchis sinensis based on ITS1 and ITS2 sequences

In 1975, an ancient corpse buried in 167 BC was found at Jiangling County, Hubei Province of China. The eggs of Clonorchis sinensis found in the gall bladder of the corpse were preserved well. In the present paper, we extracted the genomic DNA from the ancient eggs and modern eggs, respectively, and the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) at ribosomal RNA genes were studied. The results show that ITS2 sequences from the ancient sample were identical with those from modern samples, but in ITS1 differences in 15 nucleotide positions were found between the ancient and modern samples. The results demonstrated that it is possible to extract and sequence DNA from ancient parasite eggs. The ITS1 sequence obtained differed from all modern ones available to date. This might indicate sequence divergence through time, or might reflect a sequence polymorphism that may eventually be found also in modern samples.

Detection of 400-year-old Yersinia pestis DNA in human dental pulp: an approach to the diagnosis of ancient septicemia.

Ancient septicemic plague epidemics were reported to have killed millions of people for 2 millenniums. However, confident diagnosis of ancient septicemia solely on the basis of historical clinical observations is not possible. The lack of suitable infected material has prevented direct demonstration of ancient septicemia; thus, the history of most infections such as plague remains hypothetical. The durability of dental pulp, together with its natural sterility, makes it a suitable material on which to base such research. We hypothesized that it would be a lasting refuge for Yersinia pestis, the plague agent. DNA extracts were made from the dental pulp of 12 unerupted teeth extracted from skeletons excavated from 16th and 18th century French graves of persons thought to have died of plague ("plague teeth") and from 7 ancient negative control teeth. PCRs incorporating ancient DNA extracts and primers specific for the human beta-globin gene demonstrated the absence of inhibitors in these preparations. The incorporation of primers specific for Y. pestis rpoB (the RNA polymerase beta-subunit-encoding gene) and the recognized virulence-associated pla (the plasminogen activator-encoding gene) repeatedly yielded products that had a nucleotide sequence indistinguishable from that of modern day isolates of the bacterium. The specific pla sequence was obtained from 6 of 12 plague skeleton teeth but 0 of 7 negative controls (P < 0.034, Fisher exact test). A nucleic acid-based confirmation of ancient plague was achieved for historically identified victims, and we have confirmed the presence of the disease at the end of 16th century in France. Dental pulp is an attractive target in the quest to determine the etiology of septicemic illnesses detected in ancient corpses. Molecular techniques could be applied to this material to resolve historical outbreaks.

Study of an ancient corpse of the Warring States period unearthed from Tomb No. 1 at Guo-Jia Gang in Jingmen City (A comprehensive study)

An ancient female corpse excavated from the robbed tomb No. 1 at Guo-Jia-Gang in Jingmen city of Hubei Province was studied. It was confirmed that the corpse was buried more than 2,300 years ago, namely at the middle stage of the Warring States period and is the earliest one of the ancient coffin corpses unearthed in China so far. It is of the same type as the ancient corpses of Weatern Han Dynasty excavated from tomb No. 1 at Ma-Wang-Dui in Changsha City and from the tomb No. 168 at Phoenix Hill in Jinagling City respectively. The collagenous fibers of connective tissue from all parts in the corpse were well preserved, showing fine ultrastructure with clear periodical cross banding, and a lot of bacterial spores were found between them. In addition, a large number of eggs of clonorchis sinensis and trichuris trichiura were found in the content of the bowel. The level and the cause of good preservation were discussed and it was believed that the good preservation may result from the combined effect of the internal and external environmental factors around the corpse.

A scanning electron microscopic study on the parasite eggs in an ancient corpse from a tomb of Chu Dynasty, the Warring State, in Jiangling County, Hubei Province.

A scanning electron microscopic study on the parasite eggs in an ancient corpse from a tomb of Chu Dynasty, the Warring State, in Jiangling County, Hubei Province.

Glimpses of the past from the recently unearthed ancient corpses in China.

Abroad1 November 1984Glimpses of the Past from the Recently Unearthed Ancient Corpses in ChinaTSUNG O. CHENG, M.D.TSUNG O. CHENG, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-101-5-714 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptDuring the last decade several ancient corpses were unearthed in China; almost all of them were discovered accidently during excavation at construction sites. The excavated bodies of persons who died over 2000 years ago astonished scientists throughout the world, because all of the bodies were extremely well preserved. This preservation through more than 2000 years was believed to result from the combined effects of hermetic sealing and the deliberate deep burying of the coffins in the suitable geological and hydrological environments of the burial grounds. The Chinese government dispatched many pathologists, anatomists, biochemists, radiologists, and other medical specialists from all...

Electron microscopic study of a well-preserved 2,142-year-old ancient corpse

Electron microscopic study of a well-preserved 2,142-year-old ancient corpse

Parasitological investigation on the ancient corpse of the Western Han Dynasty unearthed from tomb No. 168 on Phoenix Hill in Jiangling county

This paper presents our parasitological studies on the ancient corpse of Western Han Dynasty unearthed from tomb No. 168 on Phoenix Hill in Jiangling county, Hubei province. It was found that eggs of four species of parasites in it, belong to Schistosoma japonicum, Clonorchis sinensis, Taeniarhynchus saginatus (or Taenia solium), and Trichuris trichiura respectively. This shows that early in 167 B.C. there was prevalence of four kinds of the above-mentioned parasitoses in Jiangling county area. The ancient corpse is recognized as the earliest case of these four parasitic diseases ever reported in the world’s medical literature.