Scientists have recently unraveled a long-standing enigma surrounding the burial of numerous deceased children by hunter-gatherers in Russia 5,500 years ago. The mystery has been linked to the earliest documented outbreak of the plague caused by Yersinia pestis, shedding new light on the nature of the disease.
A groundbreaking study published in Nature by an international team of researchers, including Canadian experts, revealed that the bacteria responsible for the infamous Black Death in 14th century Europe had already proven fatal to humans millennia earlier. Moreover, it was adept at spreading within hunter-gatherer communities, not solely confined to densely populated settlements that emerged later.
Lead author of the study, Ruairidh Macleod, a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University, expressed astonishment at the early evidence of widespread plague outbreaks among these ancient societies. The study was a collaboration between Andrzej Weber, an anthropology professor at the University of Alberta, and Angela Lieverse, an archaeology professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
Weber, overseeing the Baikal Archeology Project for four decades, examined remains from a prehistoric hunter-gatherer society near Lake Baikal in Russia. Notably, two-thirds of individuals interred at one archaeological site were children under 12, a peculiar observation that had long perplexed researchers.
Lieverse’s expertise lies in analyzing human bones to determine age, biological sex, and signs of disease. Collaborating with Macleod, an ancient DNA specialist, the team’s investigation revealed the presence of the plague pathogen within the ancient remains.
The plague strain identified in the study exhibited a lethal impact on children, attributable to a “superantigen” triggering severe inflammatory responses, particularly concerning the distinct immune systems of children. Surprisingly, this strain lacked the genetic elements enabling bubonic plague transmission via fleas.
The Lake Baikal outbreak, affecting numerous small family groups, indicated probable human-to-human transmission. Tragic instances, such as the simultaneous deaths of young sisters and cousins, underscored the devastating impact on children within these ancient communities.
This significant finding offers valuable insights into the evolution and impact of deadly pathogens like the plague over time, emphasizing the importance of understanding ancient diseases’ potential implications for the future. Lieverse emphasized the poignant narrative revealed by the prehistoric remains, underscoring the heartbreaking fate of these young victims while highlighting the power of storytelling through scientific discoveries.