Gastrointestinal parasites in a single human burial from Argentine Patagonia during the 18th-19th-century Indigenous–European Contact Period

Objective

This study aims to assess gastrointestinal parasitism in an adult Indigenous individual during the period of interaction between Indigenous hunter-gatherer groups and European populations in Patagonia.

Materials

A sediment sample was recovered from the pelvic region of a human burial at the Aguada del Barril archaeological site, dated to the 18th-19th centuries.

Methods

Approximately 5 g of sediment were rehydrated and processed using standard paleoparasitological techniques. The material was examined under light microscopy, and negative control samples were included for comparison.

Results

A total of 17 parasite eggs, representing 10 distinct species, were identified. All control slides tested negative for parasites.

Conclusions

These findings provide insight into the parasitic burden and health conditions of past populations, while also reflecting the intricate interactions between humans, domestic and wild animals, and their surrounding environment.

Significance

This case study contributes valuable data to the understanding of Indigenous lifeways in Patagonia during early colonial encounters. It also highlights the interpretative challenges posed by working with a single sediment sample, underscoring the need for broader sampling strategies to strengthen paleoparasitological inferences.

Limitations

Only a single sample was analyzed.

Suggestions for further research

This case underscores the importance of diversified sampling strategies to improve the resolution of paleoparasitological interpretation.