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What did most people die of? (back to Reading the Remains) There are some clues. In the human excrement found intact in another burial site, scientists found egg remains of the trematode species Fasciola buski. Today, this parasitic flatworm is endemic to certain areas of Thailand and is most common where aquatic plants are cultivated, particularly the water caltrop. The University of Otago's Dave Morseth, a parasitologist, reports that infestation of this parasite would greatly reduce human vitality. Anemia associated with malaria may also have affected the people greatly. Peru Expedition '96 | Unquiet Mummies | Iceman's Last Meal Reading the Remains | Resources | Teacher's Guide Transcripts | Site Map | Ice Mummies Home Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated November 2000 |