A recent study has determined the starting point of the Black Death pandemic that ravaged Eurasia in the 14th century. Genetic analysis of human remains found in graves in Kyrgyzstan, with inscriptions mentioning death by pestilence, has provided the evidence. This finding concludes a long-standing historical debate about the initial focus of the pandemic.
Genetic sequencing and archaeology to trace historical pathogens 🧬
The research combined archaeology and genomics techniques. Dental DNA was extracted from individuals buried between 1338 and 1339 near Lake Issyk-Kul. High-throughput sequencing allowed for the reconstruction of complete genomes of Yersinia pestis, the causative bacterium. The found strain presents a common ancestor to all known variants of the second pandemic, placing the diversification event here. Radiocarbon dating of the archaeological contexts was crucial.
When your tombstone says 'died of plague' and scientists prove you right 700 years later ⚰️
Imagine having such bad luck that your tombstone specifies, as the cause of death, pestilence. And then, centuries later, a team in white lab coats confirms the diagnosis with a state-of-the-art sequencer. It's the most verified epitaph in history. The deceased from that Kyrgyz community not only suffered from the disease but became, unwittingly, the definitive control sample to solve a global mystery. Archaeogenetics has proven them right, albeit with a long delay.