Scientists believe that now-extinct pathogens were a major factor in the decline of earlier civilizations
All around the Eastern Mediterranean a long time ago, several Bronze Age civilizations began to decline at the same time.
The Akkadian Empire and the Old Kingdom of Egypt fell apart, causing a social crisis that extended throughout the ancient Near East and the Aegean. This resulted in dwindling populations, massive damage, decreased trade, and substantial cultural shifts.
The Research
Recently published archaeogenetic research, on the other hand, has forced us to reevaluate our assumptions about the historical role of infectious illnesses. Plague bacteria Yersinia pestis has been linked to some of the most devastating pandemics in history. The disease spread over Eurasia since the 3rd millennium BCE and has only been identified in temperate areas due to the difficult preservation of ancient DNA in warmer temperatures.
Tens of millions of people have been killed by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium that has been responsible for three deadly global outbreaks. Before the Plague of Justinian, which began in 541 CE, it was impossible to assess the consequences of this disease’s cataclysmic nature.
DNA was found in the teeth of 32 people who deceased between 2290 and 1909 BCE, according to the study. A large number of common oral bacteria were found in the genomic data. Unexpectedly, Y. pestis and Salmonella enterica lineages, both of which are commonly linked to typhoid fever, were found in two people. In light of this discovery, it is possible that Bronze Age Crete was infected with both viruses.
Conclusions
Despite the fact that it is unlikely that Y.pestis or S.enterica were the only ones to blame for the changes in society seen in the Mediterranean at the end of the 3rd millennium BCE. The researchers suggest, based on the aDNA evidence presented here, that infectious diseases should also be thought of as a factor.
Both illnesses may have been introduced by incoming people and their cattle. Massive droughts associated with the 4.2 ka BP climatic catastrophe may have led to a shortage of clean drinking water and a population more susceptible to infectious diseases.
Some pathogens, like Y.pestis and S.enterica, do not leave any signs in the bones, so these diseases and their effects have often been missed in the archaeological record when there wasn’t any other evidence (e.g., multiple burials). Archaeogenetic investigations uncover pathogens that afflicted historical populations and disclose more about their lifestyles, health, and pathogens’ evolution.
