Prehistoric Diet and Parasitic Infection in Tennessee: Evidence from the Analysis of Desiccated Human Paleofeces

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Abstract
Eight desiccated human feces recovered from Big Bone Cave (40VB103) were analyzed for dietary contents and evidence of endoparasitic infection. Radiocarbon-dated materials from the cave indicated that it was a locus of human activity 2220 ± 135 years ago. The dietary contents were primarily composed of three domesticated plant species:Iva annua, Chenopodium berlandierissp.jonesianum, andHelianthus annuus. Endoparasitic species infecting the population using the cave were:Enterobius vermicularis, Ascaris lumbricoides, Giardia intestinalis, and a species tentatively identified to the superfamily Ancylostomoidea. The evidence of endoparasitic infection preserved in the Big Bone Cave paleofecal sample is the most complete record available for Eastern North America. This information is a new contribution to understanding the relative health status and living conditions of the emergent horticultural societies of prehistoric Eastern North America.