Helminth eggs detected in soil samples of a possible toilet structure found at the capital area of ancient baekje kingdom of Korea

Chang Seok Oh, Sang Yuck Shim, Yongjun Kim, Jong Ha Hong, Jong Yil Chai, Hisashi Fujita, Min Seo, Dong Hoon Shin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)393-397
Number of pages5
JournalKorean Journal of Parasitology
Volume59
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Korean Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine.

Keywords

  • Ancient kingdom
  • Ascaris lumbricoides
  • Baekje
  • Clonorchis sinensis
  • Flush toilet
  • Paleoparasitology
  • Parasite egg
  • Trichuris trichiura

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