RESUMO
The present article offers the facial approximation of the mummy of the ancient Egyptian adolescent named Minirdis (ca. 2300 years BP) by means of anatomical analysis of video-images and through a facial approximation protocol implemented on more historical personages. An evaluation of the mummy's endocast is also offered. A potential diagnosis of Sotos syndrome is cautiously considered but its inherent limitations are detailed. Finally, the methodology is presented as a valuable tool both for bio-historical research and for further studies on normal and pathologic morphologies of the cranio-facial district.
Assuntos
Face , Imageamento Tridimensional , Múmias , Humanos , Múmias/história , Face/anatomia & histologia , Imageamento Tridimensional/métodos , Antigo Egito , História Antiga , Adolescente , EgitoRESUMO
Our understanding of the limits of animal life is continually revised by scientific exploration of extreme environments. Here we report the discovery of mummified cadavers of leaf-eared mice, Phyllotis vaccarum, from the summits of three different Andean volcanoes at elevations 6,029-6,233 m above sea level in the Puna de Atacama in Chile and Argentina. Such extreme elevations were previously assumed to be completely uninhabitable by mammals. In combination with a live-captured specimen of the same species from the nearby summit of Volcán Llullaillaco (6,739 m)1, the summit mummies represent the highest altitude physical records of mammals in the world. We also report a chromosome-level genome assembly for P. vaccarum that, in combination with a whole-genome re-sequencing analysis and radiocarbon dating analysis, provides insights into the provenance and antiquity of the summit mice. Radiocarbon data indicate that the most ancient of the mummies are, at most, a few centuries old. Genomic polymorphism data revealed a high degree of continuity between the summit mice and conspecifics from lower elevations in the surrounding Altiplano. Genomic data also revealed equal numbers of males and females among the summit mice and evidence of close kinship between some individuals from the same summits. These findings bolster evidence for resident populations of Phyllotis at elevations >6,000 m and challenge assumptions about the environmental limits of vertebrate life and the physiological tolerances of small mammals.
Assuntos
Brassicaceae , Múmias , Masculino , Feminino , Animais , Camundongos , Chile , Genômica , Argentina , SigmodontinaeRESUMO
The War of the Pacific (1879-1884) was a big scale war between Chile against the alliance of Peru and Bolivia. One of the most important battles, the "Batalla del Campo de la Alianza" was situated in the desert near Tacna, Peru. The conditions of this environment favored the conservation of the dead soldiers after many years. Decades ago, the Natural History Museum of Concepción in Chile, received a naturally mummified individual of a probably Chilean soldier as a donation; its uncertain context was never studied nor confirmed. Considering this, our investigation analyzed this body under exploratory methods, ballistic analysis, archaeological contrast, 14C radiocarbon dating, ancient DNA, and isotopic analysis to reconstruct the biological profile of this mummy. The results indicated that the mummy belongs to an adult man between 33-39 years of age (> 1.50 m) and has a perimortem wound in the left flank of the abdomen. CT scan and X-rays revealed the presence of a bullet (Comblain II or Gras) hosted near the L2 vertebra. It is possible that the individual died of bleeding from a gunshot wound done by a long-distance firearm projectile from an inferior level, whose trajectory was from left to right, with slight inclination towards the top, and without a projectile exit. Other analyses confirmed the historical context and suggests the Chilean origin of the mummy. Despite the passage of time and other factors, it was possible to reconstruct the death of this individual thanks to technology and approaches from different disciplines.
Assuntos
Múmias , Ferimentos por Arma de Fogo , Adulto , Arqueologia , Humanos , Masculino , Peru , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios XRESUMO
Parasitism is inherent to life and observed in all species. Extinct animals have been studied to understand what they looked like, where and how they lived, what they fed on, and the reasons they became extinct. Paleoparasitology helps to clarify these questions based on the study of the parasites and microorganisms that infected those animals, using as a source material coprolites, fossils in rock, tissue, bone, mummy, and amber, analyses of ancient DNA, immunodiagnosis, and microscopy.
Assuntos
Extinção Biológica , Fósseis/parasitologia , Sedimentos Geológicos/parasitologia , Paleopatologia , Doenças Parasitárias em Animais/história , Âmbar , Animais , Osso e Ossos/microbiologia , Osso e Ossos/parasitologia , Osso e Ossos/patologia , História Antiga , Múmias/parasitologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: This study explores whether ancient Atacama Desert populations in northern Chile were exposed to endemic boron contamination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), we studied 144 strands of ancient mummy hair, ranging from 3000 B.C. to 1500 A.D., excavated from the Lluta, Azapa, and Camarones valleys in northern Chile. We tested whether these ancient populations showed signs of significant boron concentration in hair tissue. RESULTS: On average, all individuals from these valleys showed high boron concentrations, ranging from 1.5 to 4 times above the average boron concentration in contemporary hair (baseline <0.85 µg/g). The boron concentration in mummy hair varied according to the main geographic areas mentioned above. CONCLUSIONS: The rivers of northern Chile have high geogenic boron concentrations. They contain 38 times above the recommended limit for human consumption. Geogenic boron contamination likely played a role in population morbidity and the types of crops that were cultivated in antiquity. The ancient populations were chronically affected by boron overexposure, suggesting that ancient geogenic water contamination should be considered when discussing the biocultural trajectories of ancient populations.
Assuntos
Boro/análise , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Adolescente , Adulto , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Chile , Clima Desértico , Feminino , Cabelo/química , História Antiga , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Múmias/história , Rios/química , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to search for ancient parasites in abdominal content and coprolites from Bolivian mummies. MATERIALS: Twelve mummified individuals from the Andean highlands, housed at the National Museum of Archaeology (MUNARQ) in La Paz, Bolivia. METHODS: Microscopic analysis of rehydrated samples (coprolites and abdominal content), following Lutz's spontaneous sedimentation technique. RESULTS: Eggs of Enterobius vermicularis were identified in coprolites from one mummy, and capillariid eggs in the organic abdominal content from another individual. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first evidence of ancient intestinal parasites in Bolivian mummies. SIGNIFICANCE: This pioneering study focused on the search of ancient intestinal parasites in human remains of the Bolivian Andes and contributes to greater knowledge of paleoparasitology in South America. LIMITATIONS: All mummies in the MUNARQ belonged to the Andean Bolivian highlands (post-Tiwanaku era or Late Intermediate Period), although the exact provenance of the material and the associated contexts are not well recorded. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Considering the great number of well-known archaeological sites and other unexplored sites in Bolivia, in addition to large collections in museums, further paleopathological and paleoparasitological molecular studies in mummies and skeletons are called for.
Assuntos
Infecções por Enoplida/parasitologia , Enterobíase/parasitologia , Indígenas Sul-Americanos/história , Múmias/parasitologia , Abdome/parasitologia , Adulto , Animais , Bolívia , Enoplídios/isolamento & purificação , Infecções por Enoplida/história , Enterobíase/história , Enterobius/isolamento & purificação , Fezes/parasitologia , Feminino , História Antiga , Humanos , Enteropatias Parasitárias/história , Enteropatias Parasitárias/parasitologia , Estágios do Ciclo de Vida/fisiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Múmias/história , PaleopatologiaRESUMO
In the pre-Hispanic Central Andes, the mummified bodies of ancestors stood as the basis for the social and cosmic order. However, the mummification techniques in that region are still poorly understood, as there have been surprisingly few archaeometric studies on their technical aspects. For that reason, we selected two mummies of the Chancay culture (900-1533 AD), on which to perform extensive chemical characterisation using a combination of molecular and elemental analysis and nanoscale imaging. The multimodal chemical study included the use of ATR FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, SEM-EDX, GC-MS and HPLC-MS techniques, and allowed the identification of a plethora of organic and inorganic substances present in their skin. Moreover, we were able to recognise different patterns of decomposition in each case. Data obtained during this study suggest that, in the last centuries before the Inca Empire conquered the Peruvian Central Coast, local societies treated some of their dead in a special manner, covering their bodies with balms composed of many substances. Some of these substances had anti-decay properties and could stop further decomposition of the skin.
Assuntos
Múmias , Cromatografia Gasosa-Espectrometria de Massas , Hispânico ou Latino , Humanos , Espectrometria de Massas , PeruRESUMO
Skeletal and mummified remains from South America have had a significant impact on the progress of paleopathological research. In 1997, John Verano synthesized the state of paleopathological research, identifying trends and highlighting future potentials. The goal of this contribution is to consider Verano's observations on advances in soft tissue paleopathology within the context of the development of the field of mummy studies. As his article was published near the midpoint between the present and the early 1970s, when the modern form of mummy studies began to form, considering his observations in this context allows researchers the opportunity to consider how the field has progressed since the late 1990s.
Assuntos
Doença/história , Múmias/história , Paleopatologia , Projetos de Pesquisa , Difusão de Inovações , Previsões , História Antiga , Humanos , Múmias/patologia , Paleopatologia/história , Paleopatologia/tendências , Projetos de Pesquisa/tendências , América do SulRESUMO
The genetic information of ancient Paragonimus westermani, the oriental lung fluke infecting over 20 million people worldwide, has not been thoroughly investigated thus far. We analysed genetic markers (COI and ITS2) of P. westermani from coprolite specimens (n = 6) obtained from 15th to 18th century Korean mummies. Our results indicated that all P. westermani sequences were generally distinct from the other species of the genus Paragonimus. The sequences were clustered into three groups: Group I for East Asia; Group II for South and Southeast Asia; and Group III for India and Sri Lanka. In this study, we found that ancient P. westermani sequences in Korea belong to Group I, adding invaluable information to the existing knowledge of Paragonimus paleogenetics.