Ancient DNA reveals plague was already killing humans 5,500 years ago
Plague was already a deadly killer 5,500 years ago, long before cities, farming, or the rat-infested conditions usually linked to historic outbreaks. By analyzing ancient DNA from hunter-gatherer cemeteries in Siberia, researchers discovered early plague strains in nearly 40% of the individuals…
Plague devastating hunter-gatherer communities 5,500 years ago — before cities, before rats — quietly destabilizes the standard narrative of disease as a byproduct of dense urban settlement, raising questions about what kinds of population collapse may ha