Researchers recently made a groundbreaking discovery while analyzing an ancient Egyptian mummy. This reveals the presence of the bacteria Yersinia pestis which was responsible for the bubonic plague long before the devastating epidemic in 14th century Europe. This discovery challenges the traditional view of the history of the plague, suggesting that the disease already existed in North Africa at the dawn of the Bronze Age.
The context of the discovery
The discovery of the presence of the bacteria Yersinia pestis in an Egyptian mummy represents a major advance for researchers in paleomicrobiology. Dated around 3 290 ansthis mummy belongs to an individual from the end of the Second Intermediate Period or the beginning of the New Kingdom, a period marked by social and political upheavals in ancient Egypt.
Researchers were able to extract plague DNA from two distinct sources: bone tissue and intestinal contentsthus providing clear evidence that this man had the bubonic plague before he died. This discovery goes beyond simple identification of the disease; it provides direct insight into the extent of infection in the human body at advanced stages of the disease.
The importance of this discovery is not limited to confirming the existence of plague in North Africa, but to its involvement in the overall history of the disease. Indeed, before this study, plague was mainly associated with Europe and Asia, and it was thought that it had only appeared in Africa in more recent times. The genome of Yersinia pestis discovered in this Egyptian mummy is the first to be found outside of Eurasia, opening new perspectives for historians and researchers. This implies that the plague may have traveled across ancient trade routes much earlier than previously thought, thereby shaping the dynamics of ancient societies.
This research was shared at the European Paleopathology Association meeting, highlighting its importance in reassessing the origins and impact of plague in the ancient world.
The history of the plague in Egypt
Before this discovery, the presence of plague in ancient Egypt remained a largely speculative hypothesis. However, several clues had pointed researchers in this direction. The banks of the Nile were an ideal breeding ground for the disease, with conditions conducive to proliferation of fleas carrying the bacteria Yersinia pestis.
A landmark discovery occurred in the 2000s when a group of researchers found fleas at an archaeological site in Amarna where workers who helped build Tutankhamun's tomb resided. Fleas, considered the main vector of the plague, gave rise to the theory that the plague could have been circulating well before the medieval pandemic that ravaged Europe.
Another key element in this hypothesis is the papyrus Ebersa 3,500-year-old medical text that describes plague-like symptoms, including “buboes” and petrified pus, typical features of the disease. Although this text does not explicitly mention bubonic plague, the similarities between the symptoms described and those of modern plague suggest that this pathology, or at least a close form, may have affected the inhabitants of ancient Egypt. These elements therefore sowed the seeds of the possibility that the plague could have been present in this region much earlier than previously thought.
Historical implications and transmission of the plague
The discovery of the presence of plague in ancient Egypt raises several questions about how this disease would have spread beyond Egypt's borders. One of the most fascinating aspects of this study is the possibility that the plague spread via trade networks that crossed the Mediterranean and beyond. Some researchers believe that infected fleas, carried by rats, played a crucial role in the spread of the disease. Black rats, favored hosts of fleaswere often present aboard ancient ships traveling between Mediterranean ports. This travel would have facilitated the transmission of the disease, not only in Egypt, but also to regions such as North Africa, the Middle East and even Europe.
The theory that the plague may have circulated much earlier than previously thought therefore challenges the traditional idea that it arrived in Europe with the medieval pandemic of the 14th century. If this disease had already crossed Mediterranean civilizations before this time, this could explain certain ancient epidemics and their impact on ancient societies. The implications of this discovery are vast: they suggest not only that the plague was among the diseases affecting ancient civilizations, but also that it probably influenced commercial and cultural relations of the time. This pushes researchers to rethink the history of pandemics, their spread and their impact on societies well before the medieval period.
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