Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
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Helminth Eggs Detected in Soil Samples of a Possible Toilet Structure Found at the Capital Area of Ancient Baekje Kingdom of Korea

  • Oh, Chang Seok (Department of Mortuary Science, College of Bio-convergence, Eulji University) ;
  • Shim, Sang-Yuck (Kongju National University Museum) ;
  • Kim, Yongjun (Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation) ;
  • Hong, Jong Ha (Institute of Korean Archaeology and Ancient History, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Chai, Jong-Yil (Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Fujita, Hisashi (Research Center for Knowledge Science in Cultural Heritage, Doshisha University) ;
  • Seo, Min (Department of Parasitology, Dankook University College of Medicine) ;
  • Shin, Dong Hoon (Bioanthropology and Paleopathology Lab, Institute of Forensic and Anthropological Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2021.05.19
  • Accepted : 2021.07.29
  • Published : 2021.08.31
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Abstract

Although research conducted in East Asia has uncovered parasite eggs from ancient toilets or cesspits, data accumulated to date needs to be supplemented by more archaeoparasitological studies. We examined a total of 21 soil samples from a toilet-like structure at the Hwajisan site, a Baekje-period royal villa, in present-day Korea. At least 4 species of helminth eggs, i.e., Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, Clonorchis sinensis, and Trichuris sp. (or Trichuris vulpis) were detected in 3 sediment samples of the structure that was likely a toilet used by Baekje nobles. The eggs of T. trichiura were found in all 3 samples (no. 1, 4, and 5); and A. lumbricoides eggs were detected in 2 samples (no. 4 and 5). C. sinensis and T. vulpis-like eggs were found in no. 5 sample. From the findings of this study, we can suppose that the soil-transmitted helminths were prevalent in ancient Korean people, including the nobles of Baekje Kingdom during the 5th to 7th century.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea by the Ministry of Science and ICT (2020R1A2C1010708).

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