Ancient Siberian Plague Reveals Earliest Outbreak Linked to Hunter-Gatherers
TL;DR
DNA from teeth at four Siberian cemeteries shows Yersinia pestis in victims dating to about 5,500 years ago, making this the oldest known plague outbreak and indicating that hunter-gatherers near Lake Baikal were devastated before farming communities. The early strain lacked later virulence genes but was still deadly, likely spreading pneumonically and disproportionately affecting children; burial patterns suggest the disease spread within families along the Angara River, challenging the idea that plague only emerged with agriculture.
- Hunter-gatherers in Siberia died of a plague outbreak 5,500 years ago Ars Technica
- Lethal plague outbreaks in Lake Baikal hunter-gatherers 5,500 years ago Nature
- Hunter-gatherer cemeteries reveal an ancient plague’s earliest known victims CNN
- Ancient graves held a grim mystery. DNA revealed the oldest known plague outbreaks. The Washington Post
- New evidence of origin of the black death a ‘complete surprise’ experts say Global News
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