Ectopic paragonimiasis from 400-year-old female mummy of Korea

Of the parasite eggs discovered in ancient samples from Korean archaeological sites, Paragonimus spp. are of particular importance in that they are regarded as one of the most insidious trematode infection sources. Although their infection prevalence decreased rapidly in the early 20th century, archaeoparasitological studies on the species are still required, as historical knowledge of paragonimiasis remains far from comprehensive. Fortunately, we recently were given a chance to examine a medieval Korean mummy in a good state of preservation. Using morphological techniques, we discovered evidence of ectopic paragonimiasis in the sample from the 17th-century female. When the ITS 2 gene was extracted, amplified and sequenced from Paragonimus eggs, it showed 100% homology to the sequences of modern Paragonimus westermani reported from Korea and Japan, forming a cluster distinct from South Asian P. westermani. Our report is the first-ever analysis of ancient Paragonimus DNA from any archaeological field in the world. The ectopic paragonimiasis diagnosis made in this study, especially involving the liver sample, also is the first of its kind in archaeoparasitology.     

韩国坟丘墓社会的性质

在古代韩国,马韩盛行过坟丘墓,其主要特征是在地上的坟丘中,由多个埋葬主体通过追加葬形式形成。坟丘墓最晚到公元前1世纪开始出现,其存在从方形木棺向圆形石室的变迁过程。韩国坟丘墓社会中只有百济国发展成为国家百济,因其与先进地区临近,容易接收先进文化,其它小国在酋长社会状态下被吞并,因其农业共同体性质过强,并且与周边国家对等交流困难。