HOEPA
One Health in the Past
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The HOEPA project, funded by the IIPP Italian Institute of Prehistory and Protohistory, is supervised by Annaluisa Pedrotti and coordinated by Omar Larentis and Fabio Santaniello. In particular, the project is formally linked as a spin-off to the GERANI project, of which it is part and with which it shares the objective of investigating the biological complexity of the past.
The O.He.Pa – One Health in the Past project aims to explore, from an archaeological perspective, the complex interactions between humans, animals, and the environment over a long-term chronological span ranging from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age. Framed within the broader interdisciplinary paradigm of One Health (Zinsstag et al., 2010), the project seeks to recover biological, ecological, and behavioral information through the analysis of microtraces preserved at the multi-stratified site of Riparo Gaban (Trento).
The primary objective is to investigate patterns of coexistence and interaction between human communities and their natural and animal environments by using phytoliths (silica particles produced by plants) and helminth eggs as biological markers. These traces, often invisible to the naked eye yet well preserved in the dental calculus of domestic animals and in archaeological sediments, represent a valuable source of paleoecological and paleopathological information (Le Bailly et al., 2021; Delhon et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2024). The project adopts an integrated methodological approach that combines paleoparasitological analyses with dental calculus studies on selected samples.
The long stratigraphic sequence of Riparo Gaban provides a unique opportunity to investigate diachronic changes in spatial organization, diet, and environmental management during a critical period marked by the transition from hunter-gatherer economies to agro-pastoral societies. Within this framework, the research aims not only to generate high-resolution data on past practices, but also to contribute to a long-term understanding of the interconnections between human, animal, and environmental health.
Paleoparasitological investigation
The identification of parasites in ancient contexts represents an important tool for understanding animal health and the pastoral practices of past communities. This is made possible through the analysis of coprolites, sediments, or biomolecules, which allow the detection of eggs, larvae, or other parasitic structures even in complex archaeological contexts. The presence, abundance, and diversity of parasites provide valuable information not only on the health status of human communities, but also on that of animals, offering insights into herding dynamics, livestock density, and the intensity of pastoral activities. Moreover, parasite analysis makes it possible to reconstruct the management of grazing ecosystems, as many parasites have life cycles involving intermediate hosts and depend on the availability of pastures and environmental resources.
Despite the importance of such information, paleoparasitological studies of prehistoric and protohistoric pastoral sites in Europe remain extremely limited. Most research has focused on lacustrine and pile-dwelling settlements, where preservation conditions for coprolites and sediments were particularly favorable, while caves used as enclosures for sheep and goats in the Mediterranean region have received little attention. Nevertheless, the study of parasites in archaeological contexts offers a unique perspective for understanding interactions between humans, animals, and the environment, revealing aspects of pastoral practices, land-use strategies, and livestock health conditions that would otherwise remain unknown.
Dental calculus analysis
Phytoliths are siliceous microstructures produced by plants that can be preserved in the dental calculus of animals and humans, providing direct information on diet and feeding practices. Although phytoliths offer limited taxonomic resolution and are not precise indicators of the use of specific plants for medicinal or fodder purposes (ICPT, 2019), under certain conditions it is possible to recognize particular plant groups and, in some cases, identify them at the genus level. While the use of collected grasses by herders, stored and later distributed to livestock, is more difficult to detect—since their phytolith signatures may resemble those derived from free grazing—the analysis of grass phytoliths can sometimes distinguish different parts of the plant. This makes it possible to assess factors such as the ratio between straw and inflorescences, which may indicate local agricultural practices or cereal processing activities, or the feeding of livestock with cereal by-products.
Despite their taxonomic limitations, phytoliths represent a valuable tool for reconstructing diet and pasture management. Phytolith analysis of dental calculus can also complement data obtained from other archaeozoological evidence, such as microwear or isotopic analyses, offering a more comprehensive perspective on herding strategies, fodder use, and human–animal interactions in ancient contexts.
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