Science Daily
Ancient DNA reveals plague was already killing humans 5,500 years ago
2026-06-18
Researchers analyzed ancient DNA from Siberian hunter-gatherer cemeteries dating to 5,500 years ago and identified early plague strains in nearly 40% of sampled individuals, with evidence of rapid family-based outbreaks.
Why It Matters
The findings demonstrate that infectious diseases affected small-scale prehistoric populations well before agriculture or urbanization, offering new context for ancient demographic and health patterns studied through archaeology and aDNA.
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