Contributions of ectoparasite studies in archaeology with two examples from the North Atlantic region

• Published in: International journal of paleopathology Vol. 3; no. 3; pp. 158 - 164
• Main Authors: Forbes, Véronique, Dussault, Frédéric, Bain, Allison
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01-09-2013
• Subjects: Biogeography; Ectoparasites; Disease vectors; Archaeoentomology; Eiderdown; Hygiene
• ISSN: 1879-9817; 1879-9825
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2013.07.004

Human and animal ectoparasites are often recovered from archaeological contexts being examined for preserved insect remains. Records of human lice, fleas and bedbugs are used to reconstruct past sanitary conditions and practices, as well as their geographic distribution and that of the pathogens for which they may be vectors. Ectoparasites of domesticated and wild animals may be considered proxy indicators for the presence of those animals whilst also inferring activities such as wool processing. This paper summarizes the contribution of ectoparasite studies in archaeology and presents two original case studies from Iceland and Greenland.