"Black Death" Plague evidence found in Ancient Egypt

[guy]

 

The Black Death was a devastating pandemic that swept across Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which was transmitted by fleas that infested rats. The infection resulted in swollen and painful lymph nodes, known as buboes, which is why it is commonly referred to as the Bubonic Plague.

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Both bone tissue and intestinal content were sampled from the mummy for a kind of DNA testing known as 'shotgun metagenomics' — which tests unknown samples of genetic material for any and all of the known biological organisms it may contain.

 

 

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One ancient Egyptian medical text known as the Ebers Papyrus, dated to 1500 B.C., describes a 'Black Death'-like illness that 'produced a bubo' of tell-tale 'petrified' pus.

Ancient disease discovered in ancient DNA of Egyptian mummy

 

Comments: I wonder if some major plagues in Ancient Rome were caused by the Bubonic Plague.

 

Edited December 27, 2024 by guy

[guidoLaMoto]

Livy mentions several episodes of pestllence affecting the early republic, but never describes signs nor symptoms. Other authors frequently used the words pestilentia, contagio or plaga (from which we obviously get the word plague, but actually translates as wound or blow) but, again, no description of signs nor symptoms.

httgps://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/searchresults?q=Pestilentia

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/searchresults?q=Contagio

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/searchresults?q=Plaga

[guy]

7 hours ago, guy said:

Comments: I wonder if some major plagues in Ancient Rome were caused by the Bubonic Plague.

I guess a previous post had answered the above question a few years ago (see post below):

 

Although the bubonic plague has existed for thousands of years, the genetically different strains of Yersinia pestis had different degrees of virulence and, therefore, different societal impacts.

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2024 by guy