International Journal of Paleopathology 36 (2022) 1–6 1879-9817/© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Case study Mid-7th century BC human parasite remains from Jerusalem Dafna Langgut The Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Ancient Environments. Institute of Archaeology and The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Israel A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Iron Age Jerusalem Archaeoparasitology Intestinal parasite eggs Armon Hanatziv Toilet seat Human parasitology ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the species of intestinal parasites present in 7th century BC high-status residents of Je- rusalem and to expose the history of regional health and sanitary conditions. Materials: Fifteen sediment samples were collected from the cesspit below a stone toilet seat found at the site of Armon Hanatziv, southern Jerusalem. The toilet installation was located in a garden adjacent to a monumental structure with extraordinary architectural elements. Methods: A light microscope was used to identify and measure the eggs. Results: The presence of four intestinal parasite egg taxa was detected: Trichuris trichiura (whipworm), Taenia sp. (beef/pork tapeworm), Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), and Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm). This is the earliest appearance of roundworm and pinworm in the ancient Israel parasitological record. Conclusions: Findings reveal that intestinal parasitic diseases most likely caused by poor sanitary conditions were a human problem in the Late Iron Age of Israel, affecting even high-status groups. Signifcance: The study demonstrates the potential of archaeoparasitological investigations to expand our knowledge of the origin and history of regional infections. Moreover, parasitological evidence enabled us to determine the purpose of the cubical perforated stone artifacts (stone toilet seats rather than cultic objects as currently debated). Limitations: The eggs of some parasite taxa are less durable, so may theoretically be absent due to selective preservation. Suggestions for Further Research: Future excavations of ancient Israel should include archaeoparasitological studies of rare toilet installations to prevent information loss of regional history of diseases and to better un- derstand their archaeological context. 1. Introduction Studies of intestinal parasite remains preserved in ancient feces de- posits (archaeoparasitology) are an important tool for tracing the evo- lution of past infections worldwide. Archaeoparasitological studies can also provide signifcant information on standards of health and sanita- tion prevalent in ancient societies (Reinhard and Bryant, 1992; Bouchet et al., 2003; Le Bailly et al., 2006). These studies are aided by the fact that intestinal parasitic worms that infect humans lay thousands of exceptionally durable eggs per day. Once the eggs are passed into the open environment, they become a permanent archaeological record of diseases (Reinhard and Warnock, 1996; Mitchell, 2017). Parasitological studies of pinworms found in humans, great apes, and lesser apes demonstrate that pinworm evolution paralleled primate evolution. Hence, pinworms have been a nuisance since the beginning of human- kind (Hugot et al., 1999). Other parasites have more recent origins. Studies of the last several decades comparing the parasitic environment of hunter-gatherers and farming communities have demonstrated that the dramatic changes in diet, settlement patterns, and social organization caused by the advent of agriculture and, specifcally, the domestication of animals, triggered the intensifcation in the parasitosis of humans (e.g., Reinhard, 1988). In contrast, the impermanence of hunter-gatherer settlements signifcantly reduced their exposure to transmissible diseases, airborne and food-borne parasites, and fecal pollution. Modern nomadic communities of hunter-gatherers that settle and eventually become farmers refect this pattern. Rates of intestinal worms that cause anemia and delayed growth, with potentially dramatic consequences for the psychic devel- opment of children, have generally risen with a sedentary way of life (e. g., Dounias and Froment, 2006). As the birthplace of sedentism and domestication of plants and animals (Bar-Yosef and Belfer-Cohen, 1989; Zohary et al., 2012; Langgut et al., 2021), the Fertile Crescent most probably predates other regions in the appearance of intestinal parasitic infection. It is, therefore, not surprising that references to intestinal E-mail address: langgut@tauex.tau.ac.il. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Paleopathology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijpp https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.10.005 Received 12 July 2021; Received in revised form 14 October 2021; Accepted 18 October 2021