Resíduos alimentares, infecções parasitárias e evidência do uso de plantas medicinais em grupos pré-históricos das Américas

Paleoparasitology uses, as the main tool to study, the analysis of coprolites and sediments removed from the land of archaeological sites, latrines and the pelvic area of skeletons. Joining data from archeology, anthropology and paleoparasitology, among other sciences, it is possible to obtain solid results on livelihoods and health of people in the past. On this study were analyzed samples from three different regions of the Americas. A total of 59 samples of coprolites and sediments from archaeological sites located in the archaeological area of Sao Raimundo Nonato, which includes the National Park Serra da Capivara (PNSC), located in Pernambuco, Brazil, were analyzed. This region has sites with the oldest dating obtained in the Park, with human activities recorded from 50.000 years BP; 12 samples from the archaeological site of Antelope Cave, located in Arizona, USA. This site, just like PNSC, has features such as the presence of pottery and the initiation of agriculture by prehistoric groups in the region, and 15 samples taken directly from the pelvic region of burials from the sambaqui Cubatao I, located in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil. This archaeological site is actually a methodological challenge due to the climate and soil biotic activity in the region that don't allow good conditions of preservation of the archeological material. The analysis of alimentary residues of these different archaeological areas supplied data regarding the diet of old populations and the relationship between the presence of parasites and the encounter of plants with anthelminthic properties, and it was still possible the determination of cases of false parasitism.