Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T00:14:52.993Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis L.) were present in Roman and Medieval Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Harry Kenward*
Affiliation:
Environmental Archaeology Unit (EAU), Department of Biology, University of York, PO Box 373, York YO10 5YW, England. [email protected]

Abstract

As methods of retrieval become ever better, and analysis more refined, the horrid vermin of human occupation are identified and mapped. Recent analyses of deposits from Carlisle provide data on pubic lice.

Type
Notes
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allison, E., Hall, A. & Kenward, H.. 1999. Technical report. Living conditions and resource exploitation at the Early Christian rath at Deer Park Farms, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland: evidence from plants and invertebrates 1–2. York: Environmental Archaeology Unit. Reports 99/8, 99/10.Google Scholar
Allison, E.P., Hutchinson, A. Jones, A.K.G. Kenward, H.K. & Morgan, L.M.. 1991. In McCarthy, M.R., The structural sequence and environmental remains from Castle Street, Carlisle: excavations 1981–2, Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Research Series 5 (fascicule 1): passim.Google Scholar
Allison, E.P., Kenward, H.K. & Tomlinson, P.R.. 1990. Environmental analysis of samples from Area 86.53H, Peel Castle, Isle of Man. York: Environmental Archaeology Unit. Report 90/7.Google Scholar
Amorosi, T., Buckland, P.C. Olaesson, G. Sadler, J.P. & Skidmore, P.. 1992. Site status and the palaeoecological record: a discussion of the results from Bessastaəir, Iceland, in Morris & Rackham (ed.): 16992.Google Scholar
Brown, H.W. 1969. Basic clinical parasitology. 3rd edition. London: Butterworth.Google Scholar
Buckland, P. Amorosi, C.T., Barlow, L.K, Dugmork, A.J. Mayewski, P.A. McGovern, T.H. Ogilvie, A.E.J. Sadler, J.P. & Skidmore, P.. 1996. Bioarchaeological and climatological evidence for the fate of Norse farmers in medieval Greenland, Antiquity 70: 8896.Google Scholar
Buckland, P. Mcgovern, C.T.H. Sadler, J.P. & Skidmore, P.. 1994. Twig layers, floors and middens. Recent palaeoecological research in the Western Settlement, Greenland, in Ambrosiani, B. & Clarke, H. (ed.), The Twelfth Viking Congress: Developments around the Baltic and North Sea in the Viking Age: 13243. Stockholm: Birka project.Google Scholar
Buckland, P.C. & Sadler, J.P.. 1989. A biogeography of the human flea, Pulex irritans L. (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), Journal of Biogeography 16: 11520.Google Scholar
Buckland, P.C. & Sadler, J.P. 1997. Insects, in Edwards, K.J. & Ralston, I.B.M. (ed.), Scotland. Environment and archaeology 8000 BC to AD 1000: 1058. Chichester: Wiley.Google Scholar
Buckland, P. Sadler, C.J.P. & Sveinbjarnardóttir, G.. 1992. Palaeoecological investigations at Reykholt, Western Iceland, in Morris & Rackham (ed.): 14968.Google Scholar
Buckland, P. Sveinbjarnardottir, C.G. Savory, D. Mcgovern, T.H. Skidmore, P. & Andreasen, C. 1983. Norsemen at Nipaitsoq, Greenland: a palaeoecological investigation, Norwegian Archaeological Review 16: 8698.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burns, D.A. 1987. The treatment of Pthirus pubis infestation of the eyelashes, British Journal of Dermatology 117: 7413.Google Scholar
Busvine, J.R. 1976. Insects, hygiene and history. London: Athlone Press.Google Scholar
Clay, T. 1973. Phthiraptera (lice), in Smith, K.G.V. (ed.), Insects and other arthropods of medical importance: 39597. London: British Museum (Natural History).Google Scholar
Cockburn, A. & Cockburn, E.. 1980. Mummies, disease and ancient culture. Cambridge: University Press.Google Scholar
Dobney, K., Kenward, H. Ottaway, P., & Donel, L.. 1998. Down, but not out: biological evidence for complex economic organisation in Lincoln in the late fourth century, Antiquity 72: 41724.Google Scholar
Ewing, H.E. 1924. Lice from human mummies, Science 60: 38990.Google Scholar
Fletcher, J. 1994. A tale of hair, wigs and lice, Egyptian Archaeology 5: 313.Google Scholar
Girling, M.A. 1984. Eighteenth century records of human lice (Pthiraptera, Anoplura) and fleas (Siphonaptera, Pulicidae) in the City of London. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 120: 20710.Google Scholar
Graham, S. A. 1965. Entomology: an aid in archaeological studies, American Antiquity Memoirs 19: 16774.Google Scholar
Hall, A.R. & Kenward, H.K., 1990. Environmental evidence from the Colonia: General Accident and Rougier Street, Archaeology of York 14(6): 289434. London: Council for British Archaeology.Google Scholar
Hall, A.R., Kenward, H.K. & Robertson, A.. 1993. Investigation of medieval and post-medieval plant and invertebrate remains from excavations in The Bedern, York: Technical report., Ancient Monuments Laboratory Reports 5658/93.Google Scholar
Hakbijl, T. 1989. Insect remains from site Q, an Early Iron Age farm of the Assendelvers Polders project, Helinium 29: 77102.Google Scholar
Hansen, J.P.H. & Gulløv, H.C. (ed.). 1989. The mummies from Qilakitsoq — palaeopathological aspects, Meddelelser om Grønland, Man and Society 12.Google Scholar
Harwood, R.F. & James, M.T. 1979. Entomology in human and animal health. New York (NY): Macmillan.Google Scholar
Hoeppli, R. & Ch’lang, I-H.. 1940. The louse, crab-louse and bedbug in old Chinese medical literature, with special consideration onphthiriasis, Chinese Medical Journal 58: 33862.Google Scholar
Horne, P. 1979. Head lice from an Aleutian mummy, Paleopathology Newsletter 25: 78.Google Scholar
Kenward, H.K. & Allisong, E.P.. 1994. A preliminary view of the insect assemblages from the early Christian rath site at Deer Park Farms, Northern Ireland, in Rackham, D.J. (ed.), Environment and economy in Anglo-Saxon England: 89107. London: Council for British Archaeology. Research Report 89.Google Scholar
Kenward, H.K. & Hall, A.R.. 1995. Biological evidence from Anglo-Scandinavian deposits at 16–22 Coppergate, Archaeology of York 14(7): 435797. York: Council for British Archaeology.Google Scholar
Kenward, H., Large, F. & Carrott, J.. 1998. The archaeological significance of insect and other invertebrate remains from Keay’s and Law’s Lanes, The Lanes, Carlisle. Technical report. York: Environmental Archaeology Unit. Report 98/32.Google Scholar
Morris, CD. & Rackham, D.J. (ed.). 1992. Norse and later settlement and subsistence in the North Atlantic. Glasgow: Department of Archaeology, University of Glasgow.Google Scholar
Mumcuoglu, K.Y. & Zias, J.. 1988. Head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis (Anoplura: Pediculidae) from hair combs excavated in Israel and dated from the first century BC to the eigth century AD, Journal of Medical Entomology 25: 5457.Google Scholar
Robinson, M. 1991. The Neolithic and Late Bronze Age insect assemblages, in Needham, S. (ed.), Excavation and salvage at Runnymede Bridge, 1978: The Late Bronze Age waterfront site: 277327. London: British Museum/English Heritage.Google Scholar
Sadler, J.P. 1990. Records of ectoparasites on humans and sheep from Viking-Age deposits in the former Western Settlement of Greenland, Journal of Medical Entomology 27: 62831.Google Scholar
Schelvis, J. 1994. Caught between the teeth. A review of Dutch finds of archaeological remains of ectoparasites in combs, Proceedings of the section Experimental and Applied Entomology of the Netherlands Entomological Society 5:1312.Google Scholar
Smith, K.G.V. 1986. A Manual of Forensic Entomology. London: British Museum (Natural History).Google Scholar
Sveinbjarnardottir, G. & Buckland, P.C.. 1983. An uninvited guest, Antiquity 58: 12730.Google Scholar
Zias, J. & K.Y, Mumcuoglu. 1991. Pre-pottery Neolithic head lice from Nahal Hemar Cave, Atiqot 20: 1678.Google Scholar