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Christina Wurst

PhD Student
Institute for Mummy Studies

T +39 0471 055 572

christina.wurst@eurac.edu

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5214-2615

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Scientific Publications

Journal article2024

Atherosclerosis in ancient mummified humans: the global HORUS study

Thompson RC, Sutherland ML, Allam AH, Paladin A, Zink AR, Wann LS, Sutherland JD, Frohlich B,

Marco Samadelli, Christina Wurst, Alice Paladin, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

Progetto: Museo Egizio di Torino: progetto per lo studio e la conservazione delle mummie, Valutazione dei collegamenti mancanti nell'aterogenesi, attraverso la paleogenetica, la tomografia computerizzata e l’analisi degli isotopi stabili.

Atherosclerosis is usually thought of as a disease of modern times. However, atherosclerosis has been found in the remains of ancient people, suggesting that the disease has been present in humans in some form for many millennia.1 In this study, the authors significantly expand the previous experience of computed tomography (CT) scanning to systematically identify atherosclerosis in the mummified remains of people from around the world and explore its presence in seven different cultures.

DOI

DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae283

Journal article2024

Genetic Predisposition of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Human Remains

Wurst C, Maixner F, Paladin A, Mussauer A, Valverde G, Narula J, Thompson R, Zink A

Christina Wurst, Alice Paladin, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

Progetto: Vita e morte nell’antico Egitto - Analisi paleogenomiche per la ricostruzione delle condizioni di vita, malattie e dell’ascendenza di mummie egizie, Valutazione dei collegamenti mancanti nell'aterogenesi, attraverso la paleogenetica, la tomografia computerizzata e l’analisi degli isotopi stabili.

Background: Several computed tomographic studies have shown the presence of atherosclerosis in ancient human remains. However, while it is important to understand the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), genetic data concerning the prevalence of the disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in our ancestors are scarce.

Objective: For a better understanding of the role of genetics in the evolution of ASCVD, we applied an enrichment capture sequencing approach to mummified human remains from different geographic regions and time periods.

Methods: Twenty-two mummified individuals were analyzed for their genetic predisposition of ASCVD. Next-generation sequencing methods were applied to ancient DNA (aDNA) samples, including a novel enrichment approach specifically designed to capture SNPs associated with ASCVD in genome-wide association studies of modern humans.

Findings: Five out of 22 ancient individuals passed all filter steps for calculating a weighted polygenic risk score (PRS) based on 87 SNPs in 56 genes. PRSs were correlated to scores obtained from contemporary people from around the world and cover their complete range. The genetic results of the ancient individuals reflect their phenotypic results, given that the only two mummies showing calcified atherosclerotic arterial plaques on computed tomography scans are the ones exhibiting the highest calculated PRSs.

Conclusions: These data show that alleles associated with ASCVD have been widespread for at least 5,000 years. Despite some limitations due to the nature of aDNA, our approach has the potential to lead to a better understanding of the interaction between environmental and genetic influences on the development of ASCVD.

DOI

DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4366

Journal article2023

A nontuberculous mycobacterium could solve the mystery of the lady from the Franciscan church in Basel, Switzerland

Sarhan M, Wurst C, Tzankov A, Bircher AJ, Wittig H, Briellmann T, Augsburger M, Hotz G,

Christina Wurst, Frank Maixner, Mohamed Sarhan, Albert Zink

Progetto: Analisi molecolare del microbioma e di malattie infettive in reperti antichi umani - dalla diagnosi basata sulla “Capture-Sequencing” alla caratterizzazione metagenomica.

Background: In 1975, the mummified body of a female has been found in the Franciscan church in Basel, Switzerland. Molecular and genealogic analyses unveiled her identity as Anna Catharina Bischoff (ACB), a member of the upper class of post-reformed Basel, who died at the age of 68 years, in 1787. The reason behind her death is still a mystery, especially that toxicological analyses revealed high levels of mercury, a common treatment against infections at that time, in different body organs. The computed tomography (CT) and histological analysis showed bone lesions in the femurs, the rib cage, and the skull, which refers to a potential syphilis case.
Results: Although we could not detect any molecular signs of the syphilis-causing pathogen Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, we realized high prevalence of a nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) species in brain tissue sample. The genome analysis of this NTM displayed richness of virulence genes and toxins, and similarity to other infectious NTM, known to infect immunocompromised patients. In addition, it displayed potential resistance to mercury compounds, which might indicate a selective advantage against the applied treatment. This suggests that ACB might have suffered from an atypical mycobacteriosis during her life, which could explain the mummy’s bone lesion and high mercury concentrations.
Conclusions: The study of this mummy exemplifies the importance of employing differential diagnostic approaches in paleopathological analysis, by combining classical anthropological, radiological, histological, and toxicological observations with molecular analysis. It represents a proof-of-concept for the discovery of not-yet-described ancient pathogens in well-preserved specimens, using de novo metagenomic assembly.

DOI

DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01509-7

Journal article2023

Ancestry and kinship in a Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages cemetery in the Eastern Italian Alps

Coia V, Paladin A, Zingale S, Wurst C, Croze M, Maixner F, Zink A

Valentina Coia, Stefania Zingale, Christina Wurst, Alice Paladin, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

Progetto: Un approccio interdisciplinare allo studio della storia delle popolazioni altomedievali del Trentino-Alto Adige

In South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps), during Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages, archeological records indicate cultural hybridization among alpine groups and peoples of various origin. Using paleogenomics, we reconstructed the ancestry of 20 individuals (4th–7th cent. AD) from a cemetery to analyze whether they had heterogeneous or homogeneous ancestry and to study their social organization. The results revealed a primary genetic ancestry from southern Europe and additional ancestries from south-western, western, and northern Europe, suggesting that cultural hybridization was accompanied by complex genetic admixture. Kinship analyses found no genetic relatedness between the only two individuals buried with grave goods. Instead, a father-son pair was discovered in one multiple grave, together with unrelated individuals and one possible non-local female. These genetic findings indicate the presence of a high social status familia, which is supported by the cultural materials and the proximity of the grave to the most sacred area of the church.

DOI

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108215

Journal article2023

Molekulargenetische Untersuchung einer Mumie

Wurst C, Sarhan SM, Maixner F, Zink A

Christina Wurst, Frank Maixner, Mohamed Sarhan, Albert Zink

Progetto: Valutazione dei collegamenti mancanti nell'aterogenesi, attraverso la paleogenetica, la tomografia computerizzata e l’analisi degli isotopi stabili.

By applying Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) methods to ancient human remains, we can learn a lot about our own past. These methods not only allow us to analyse highly fragmented ancient DNA molecules,
but also give us a tool for their ancient authentication. An example of what is possible by using NGS methods in paleogenetics is shown here with the “Lady of the Barfüsser Church”, where both ancient human
and microbial DNA was studied.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1007/s12268-023-1982-z

Inbook2023

The Genetic Background of Atherosclerosis in Ancient Mummies

Zink A, Wurst C, Maixner F, Wann S, Thompson RC, Thomas GS

Christina Wurst, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

Progetto: Valutazione dei collegamenti mancanti nell'aterogenesi, attraverso la paleogenetica, la tomografia computerizzata e l’analisi degli isotopi stabili.

This chapter aims to outline current knowledge concerning the genetic background of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its study in ancient human remains. This is demonstrated by the application of a palaeogenetic analysis to the mummy of the Tyrolean Iceman, who presented with both arterial calcifications and a strong genetic predisposition for heart disease. Further discussion highlights how the study of ancient humans can provide new insights into the genetic background of CVD and its intersection with risk factors related to lifestyle.

DOI

DOI: 10.1017/9781108648561.007

Journal article2022

The Lady from Basel’s Barfüsserkirche – Molecular confirmation of the Mummy’s identity through mitochondrial DNA of living relatives spanning 22 generations

Wurst C, Maixner F, Castella V, Cipollini G, Hotz G, Zink A

Giovanna Cipollini, Christina Wurst, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

Progetto: Valutazione dei collegamenti mancanti nell'aterogenesi, attraverso la paleogenetica, la tomografia computerizzata e l’analisi degli isotopi stabili.

The identity of the mummified Lady from the Barfüsser Church in Basel, Switzerland has been unsolved for
decades, despite the prominent location of the burial place in front of the choir screen. A recent multidisciplinary research approach came up with a possible candidate, Anna Catharina Bischoff who died in Basel in 1787 with an age of 69 years (1719–1787). To verify the identity of the mummy, genealogists of the Citizen Science Basel discovered three living individuals of the maternal lineage of two different family branches, separated from Anna Catharina Bischoff by up to 22 generations. In this study we compare the ancient mitochondrial DNA of the mummy recovered from a premolar to the mitochondrial DNA of these three candidates. Initially the mitochondrial hypervariable regions I and II of the living individuals were screened using the Sanger sequencing method. This was followed by a mitochondrial capture approach and next generation sequencing to enrich for the whole mitochondrial genome of the mummy and one living person. A full mitochondrial genome has been recovered of both individuals sharing an identical haplotype. The sequence was assigned to the mitochondrial haplogroup U5a1+!16192 including two private mutations 10006G and 16293C. Only by using an interdisciplinary approach combining ancient DNA analysis and genealogy a maternal lineage of a non-noble family spanning 22 generations could be confirmed.

DOI

DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102604

Journal article2021

The elusive parasite: comparing macroscopic, immunological, and genomic approaches to identifying malaria in human skeletal remains from Sayala, Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD)

Loufouma Mbouaka A, Gamble M, Wurst C, Jäger HY, Maixner F, Zink A, Noedl H, Binder M

Christina Wurst, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

Progetto: Analisi molecolare del microbioma e di malattie infettive in reperti antichi umani - dalla diagnosi basata sulla “Capture-Sequencing” alla caratterizzazione metagenomica.

Although malaria is one of the oldest and most widely distributed diseases affecting humans, identifying and characterizing its presence in ancient human remains continue to challenge researchers. We attempted to establish a reliable approach to detecting malaria in human skeletons using multiple avenues of analysis: macroscopic observations, rapid diagnostic tests, and shotguncapture sequencing techniques, to identify pathological changes, Plasmodium antigens, and Plasmodium DNA, respectively. Bone and tooth samples from ten individuals who displayed skeletal lesions associated with anaemia, from a site in southern Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD), were selected. Plasmodium antigens were detected in five of the ten bone samples, and traces of Plasmodium aDNA were detected in six of the twenty bone and tooth samples. There was relatively good synchronicity between the biomolecular findings, despite not being able to authenticate the results. This study highlights the complexity and limitations in the conclusive identification of the Plasmodium parasite in ancient human skeletons. Limitations regarding antigen and aDNA preservation and the importance of sample selection are at the forefront of the search for malaria in the past. We confirm that, currently, palaeopathological changes such as cribra orbitalia are not enough to be certain of the presence of
malaria. While biomolecular methods are likely the best chance for conclusive identification, we were unable to obtain results which correspond to the current authentication criteria of biomolecules. This study represents an important contribution in the refinement of biomolecular techniques used; also, it raises new insight regarding the consistency of combining several approaches in the identification of malaria in past populations.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1007/s12520-021-01350-z

Journal article2020

Intramural Burials from the Ancient Byzantine Settlement in Khirbet es-Samrā in Jordan

Nabulsi AJ, Schönrock-Nabulsi P, Humbert J-B, Desreumaux A, Wurst C

Christina Wurst

The church burials of Room-94 and Church-79 as well as the Tower 35-Tomb were excavated within the ancient Byzantine settlement in Khirbet es-Samrā, North Jordan. They were initially dated between the 7th and 9th centuries AD. The report provides the results of macroscopic analyses of the obtained human skeletal remains. These include demographic, anthropometric, epigenetic, and pathologic features. The available biological and archaeological evidence tend to suggest that the five adults and child buried in Room-94 tomb were related males, possibly of one local and highly positioned family that was associated with the adjacent Church 95. The six were successively buried in the “private” tomb in Room-94 of Church-95 and not in the “public” cemetery just outside the settlement. The two probable cases of brucellar lesions on the cervical vertebrae of two adults could be indicative of an animal breeding family and that dairy products were part of the local diet. The report also suggests a possible relatedness between Room-94 tomb burials and the 7th century AD senile female burial in Church-79, which was previously assumed to be a male church-functionary burial. Despite being marked by a cross-engraved stone and a probably lethal arrow injury, the available evidence lead to conclude that the male Tower burial, previously identified as of the 9th century AD, was in fact a medieval burial and that it is neither related to the ancient settlement nor to its ancient population. Also presented are some rarely reported biological features, e.g. the “en bloc” manifestation of the transverse foramen division on the cervical vertebrae C5 to C7.

DOI

DOI: 10.4314/ijma.v2i14.2

Journal article2020

Minimally-Invasive Bone Biopsies of Fully Wrapped Mummies Guided by Computed Tomography and Fibre-Optic Endoscopy: Suggested Methods and Guidelines

Wurst C, Paladin A, Wann LS, Frohlich B, Fritsch KO, Rowan CJ, Sutherland ML, Sutherland JD,

Christina Wurst, Alice Paladin, Albert Zink

Progetto: Valutazione dei collegamenti mancanti nell'aterogenesi, attraverso la paleogenetica, la tomografia computerizzata e l’analisi degli isotopi stabili.

Recent advances in the recovery and analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) and application of isotopic analysis of tissue obtained from mummified human remains has been accompanied by continued advances in non-invasive imaging using X-ray computed tomography (CT) and use of minimally invasive surgical techniques employing small fibre-optic endoscopes. We used these state-of-the-art techniques to examine ancient Egyptian mummies in the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection of Berlin, obtaining bone samples for aDNA, stable isotope analyses and radiocarbon dating. CT and endoscopic guidance were applied to locate and biopsy bones using pre-existing access points in order to avoid any further damage to the precious specimens. Here we provide guidelines to obtain bone samples of fully wrapped mummies in a minimally invasive way, by using a combination of computed tomography and endoscopic guided biopsy.

DOI

DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102363

Inbook2020

Multidisziplinäre Untersuchung einer australischen Mumie aus den Beständen der Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte (BGAEU)

Teẞmann B, Winkelmann A, Wurst C, Maixner F, Zink A

Christina Wurst, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

Herrmann Klaatsch eignete sich 1905 unter dubiosen Umständen eine australische Räuchermumie an und übergab sie der Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte (BGAEU). Aus historischen Quellen ist bekannt, dass es sich hierbei um die sterblichen Überreste von „Ng:tja“ handelt, auch unter dem Namen Barry Clarke bekannt. Der Herkunftsort der Mumie befindet sich im nordöstlichen Queensland. 1914 übergab die BGAEU diese Mumie dann als Dauerleihgabe an das Ethnologische Museum Berlin, wo sie bis zur Restitution an die Nachfahren von Ng:tja im Jahr 2017 blieb. Mit den Nachfahren von Ng:tja wurde eine Vereinbarung über die anthropologische Untersuchung und Beprobung getroffen. Die genetischen Analysen haben ergeben, dass die Mumie aus dem australischen Raum kommt und zur indigenen Bevölkerung Australiens gehört. Die mitochondriale DNA weist zudem auf das Herkunftsgebiet Queensland hin und das Geschlecht konnte, in Übereinstimmung mit der anthropologischen Untersuchung, genetisch als männlich bestimmt werden.

DOI

DOI: 10.30819/mbgaeu.41.12

Journal article2019

A First Assessment of the Conservation of the Mummified Human Remains in the Museo Egizio in Turin in the Framework of the “Mummy Conservation Project”

Samadelli M, Gregori G, Maixner F, Rossani M, Del Vesco P, Borla M, Paladin A, Wurst C,

Marco Samadelli, Christina Wurst, Alice Paladin, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

Progetto: Iceman Conservation Project 2.0 Studio sullo stato di conservazione e di fattibilità, Museo Egizio di Torino: progetto per lo studio e la conservazione delle mummie

The Museo Egizio in Turin holds a unique collection of 116 mummified or skeletal human bodies or body

parts. This collection is currently under study by the “Mummy Conservation Project”, a collaborative venture

of the Museo Egizio, the Institute for Mummy Studies of Eurac Research, the Soprintendenza Archeologia del

Piemonte, and the Horus Group, whose aim is to improve mummy conservation techniques. In the context

of this project, an assessment of the state of preservation of the mummified human remains was carried

out by monitoring basic physical parameters (temperature, relative humidity and water activity) and by performing

a fungal survey. The latter revealed the presence on the mummified material of fungal spores and

mycelia that could possibly pose a biodegradative threat. However, all the current physical parameters show

that the mummies are stored under optimal environmental conditions, which will suppress any microbial

up-growth.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.29353/rime.2019.2765

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Journal article2024

Genetic Predisposition of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Human Remains

Wurst C, Maixner F, Paladin A, Mussauer A, Valverde G, Narula J, Thompson R, Zink A

Christina Wurst, Alice Paladin, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink

DOI

DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4366

Christina Wurst

Scientific Publications

Atherosclerosis in ancient mummified humans: the global HORUS study

Genetic Predisposition of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Human Remains

A nontuberculous mycobacterium could solve the mystery of the lady from the Franciscan church in Basel, Switzerland

Ancestry and kinship in a Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages cemetery in the Eastern Italian Alps

Molekulargenetische Untersuchung einer Mumie

The Genetic Background of Atherosclerosis in Ancient Mummies

The Lady from Basel’s Barfüsserkirche – Molecular confirmation of the Mummy’s identity through mitochondrial DNA of living relatives spanning 22 generations

The elusive parasite: comparing macroscopic, immunological, and genomic approaches to identifying malaria in human skeletal remains from Sayala, Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD)

Intramural Burials from the Ancient Byzantine Settlement in Khirbet es-Samrā in Jordan

Minimally-Invasive Bone Biopsies of Fully Wrapped Mummies Guided by Computed Tomography and Fibre-Optic Endoscopy: Suggested Methods and Guidelines

Multidisziplinäre Untersuchung einer australischen Mumie aus den Beständen der Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte (BGAEU)

A First Assessment of the Conservation of the Mummified Human Remains in the Museo Egizio in Turin in the Framework of the “Mummy Conservation Project”

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Scientific Publications

Atherosclerosis in ancient mummified humans: the global HORUS study

Genetic Predisposition of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Human Remains

A nontuberculous mycobacterium could solve the mystery of the lady from the Franciscan church in Basel, Switzerland

Ancestry and kinship in a Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages cemetery in the Eastern Italian Alps

Molekulargenetische Untersuchung einer Mumie

The Genetic Background of Atherosclerosis in Ancient Mummies

The Lady from Basel’s Barfüsserkirche – Molecular confirmation of the Mummy’s identity through mitochondrial DNA of living relatives spanning 22 generations

The elusive parasite: comparing macroscopic, immunological, and genomic approaches to identifying malaria in human skeletal remains from Sayala, Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD)

Intramural Burials from the Ancient Byzantine Settlement in Khirbet es-Samrā in Jordan

Minimally-Invasive Bone Biopsies of Fully Wrapped Mummies Guided by Computed Tomography and Fibre-Optic Endoscopy: Suggested Methods and Guidelines

Multidisziplinäre Untersuchung einer australischen Mumie aus den Beständen der Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte (BGAEU)

A First Assessment of the Conservation of the Mummified Human Remains in the Museo Egizio in Turin in the Framework of the “Mummy Conservation Project”