@misc{10481/84636,
year = {2023},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/84636},
abstract = {The identification of a calcified hydatid cyst in the bioarcheological record is key to the
diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis (i.e., hydatid disease), a parasitic infection caused by
the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. This zoonosis can be linked to human–canid
interactions, given the reproductive cycle of the parasite (from canids to herbivores/
humans as intermediate hosts), and it is commonly associated with agropastoral com-
munities in both the past and present. However, it is not easy to identify a calcified
hydatid cyst in the archeological record because of preservation problems and its simi-
larity with other calcifications of biological and geological origin. We report the pres-
ence of two fragmented ovoidal calcified formations associated with human remains in
different medieval Islamic cemeteries from the Kingdom of Granada in al-Andalus
(Southern Iberia, 13th–15th centuries AD). These formations were analyzed by scan-
ning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The localization,
morphology, and composition of the calcifications indicate that they are hydatid cysts
caused by E. granulosus, representing the first evidence of cystic echinococcosis in
Islamic Medieval Europe. Our results are in line with archeological and historical records
of human–animal interactions and agropastoral practices in al-Andalus, and they high-
light the importance of analyzing calcified masses in the osteoarcheological record.},
organization = {Health and Diet in Populations From Southeast of al-Andalus, Grant/Award Number: PID2019-107654-GB-100; Ministerio de
Ciencia e Innovacion´. Universidad de Granada; CBUA},
publisher = {Wiley},
keywords = {Bioarcheology},
title = {Two cases of cystic echinococcosis reported from al-Andalus cemeteries (southern Iberia): Insights into zoonotic diseases in Islamic Medieval Europe},
doi = {https;//doi.org/10.1002/oa.3253},
author = {López-Gijón, Ramón and Duras, Salvatore and Maroto Benavides, Rosa María and Mena-Sánchez, Luis and Camarós, Edgard and Jiménez Brobeil, Sylvia Alejandra},
}