Lutz's spontaneous sedimentation technique and the paleoparasitological analysis of sambaqui (shell mound) sediments |
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| Authors: | Morgana Camacho Thaíla Pessanha Daniela Leles Juliana MF Dutra Rosangela Silva Sheila Mendon?a de Souza Adauto Araujo |
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| Institution: | ILaboratório de Paleoparasitologia, Departamento de Endemias Samuel Pessoa, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil;IIDepartamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil;IIILaboratório de Helmintos Parasitos de Vertebrados, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil |
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| Abstract: | Parasite findings in sambaquis (shell mounds) are scarce. Although the 121 shell mound samples were previously analysed in our laboratory, we only recently obtained the first positive results. In the sambaqui of Guapi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, paleoparasitological analysis was performed on sediment samples collected from various archaeological layers, including the superficial layer as a control. Eggs of Acanthocephala, Ascaridoidea and Heterakoidea were found in the archaeological layers. We applied various techniques and concluded that Lutz''s spontaneous sedimentation technique is effective for concentrating parasite eggs in sambaqui soil for microscopic analysis. |
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| Keywords: | coprolites paleoparasitology sambaqui archaeological sediments helminthiasis ancient diseases |
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