Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery by identifying DNA traces of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the Black Death, in an Egyptian mummy dating back to 1780 BC. This marks the first instance of the plague-causing pathogen being found outside of medieval Europe and Asia. The male mummy, housed at the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, was radiocarbon-dated to the end of Egypt’s Second Intermediate Period and beginning of the New Kingdom.
Using advanced metagenomics, researchers analyzed the mummy’s bone tissue and intestinal contents, finding evidence that the disease had progressed significantly before death. Their findings, presented at the European Meeting of the Paleopathology Association, suggest the plague may have been present in Egypt centuries earlier than previously believed, though the extent of its spread during this period remains unclear.
The discovery not only challenges historical assumptions about the origins of the plague but also emphasizes its persistence over millennia. Modern instances of the disease have been recorded as recently as 2015, though today it is treatable with antibiotics.
This study opens new avenues for understanding the ancient and modern impact of infectious diseases, offering insights into how they shaped human history and how they might still influence populations today.
