Ancient plague genomes reveal the origins of the Black Death

[Napoleon]

In their study published in Nature, an international team of researchers analyzed ancient DNA from human remains as well as historical and archaeological data from two sites that were found to contain "pestilence" inscriptions. The team's first results were very encouraging, as DNA from the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, was identified in individuals with the year 1338 inscribed on their tombstones. "We could finally show that the epidemic mentioned on the tombstones was indeed caused by plague," says Phil Slavin, one of the senior authors of the study and historian at the University of Sterling, U.K.

But could this have been the origin of the Black Death? Researchers have previously associated the Black Death's initiation with a massive diversification of plague strains, a so-called Big Bang event of plague diversity. But the exact date of this event could not be precisely estimated, and was thought to have happened sometime between the 10th and 14th centuries.

The team now pieced together complete ancient plague genomes from the sites in Kyrgyzstan and investigated how they might relate with this Big Bang event. "We found that the ancient strains from Kyrgyzstan are positioned exactly at the node of this massive diversification event. In other words, we found the Black Death's source strain and we even know its exact date [meaning the year 1338]", says Maria Spyrou, lead author and researcher at the University of Tübingen.

One of the greatest who done its in medical history has been solved.

 

[multivita-man]

One of the greatest who done its in medical history has been solved.

Fascinating, because the years I've seen for the Black Death in Europe are around 1346-50. But it makes sense. It took time for the pestilence to gain a foothold and spread.

 

[HIP56948]

Thanks. A wonderful read.

 

[soylentgreen]

Finding the origin of the plague does not answer who did it. All they did was find the gun. But who pulled the trigger is still a mystery.

And the leading suspects still is china. Trade from china to europe brought the plague to europe. But was it a deliberate on the chinese part as they saw europe as a possible threat.

 

[Northern Light]

Finding the origin of the plague does not answer who did it. All they did was find the gun. But who pulled the trigger is still a mystery.

And the leading suspects still is china. Trade from china to europe brought the plague to europe. But was it a deliberate on the chinese part as they saw europe as a possible threat.

There are many Yersinia strains, but the one that caused to Black Death which killed so many in Europe seems to have originated in Kyrgyzstan, according to this study.

I'm not sure what you mean by "who did it" and "who pulled the trigger." Nobody did. The pathogen evolved to become more contagious and deadly on its own.

 

[Napoleon]

Finding the origin of the plague does not answer who did it. All they did was find the gun. But who pulled the trigger is still a mystery.

And the leading suspects still is china. Trade from china to europe brought the plague to europe. But was it a deliberate on the chinese part as they saw europe as a possible threat.

Lake Issyk Kul, the origin point of the Black Death, was a trading point along the Silk Road. It couldn’t have popped up in a more perfect place. We know the pestilence entered Europe via trade, but there’s no way to know who. Did Chinese merchants do it on purpose? I don’t think so. First because killing your clients would be very bad for business. And second because at the time of the Black Death we start getting into the waning years of the Yuan Dynasty - which conquered and unified all of China under Mongol rule. The Chinese had bigger problems closer to home than paranoia about Europe.

 

[soylentgreen]

There are many Yersinia strains, but the one that caused to Black Death which killed so many in Europe seems to have originated in Kyrgyzstan, according to this study.

I'm not sure what you mean by "who did it" and "who pulled the trigger." Nobody did. The pathogen evolved to become more contagious and deadly on its own.

Study your history and you will find a few conspiracy theories over the idea of the chinese deliberately sending plague rats to europe. True or not who knows.

 

[soylentgreen]

Lake Issyk Kul, the origin point of the Black Death, was a trading point along the Silk Road. It couldn’t have popped up in a more perfect place. We know the pestilence entered Europe via trade, but there’s no way to know who. Did Chinese merchants do it on purpose? I don’t think so. First because killing your clients would be very bad for business. And second because at the time of the Black Death we start getting into the waning years of the Yuan Dynasty - which conquered and unified all of China under Mongol rule. The Chinese had bigger problems closer to home than paranoia about Europe.

The trouble with americans is they really do not understand the psych of the chinese. Americans do not do long term thinking, the chinese do. The plague does not commit genocide, the chinese, even back then, have enough experiences with such diseases to know that. A simple culling of the europeans would be sufficient to ensure they do not become a problem to the chinese in the future.

It is not difficult to see why the chinese might do such a thing. It is possible to see that they had the medical knowledge to understand disease far better than the europeans of that time who were still using prayers to cure illness.
The trouble is that it remains just a conspiracy theory because the evidence that it was deliberate has yet to be found.

 

[Northern Light]

Study your history and you will find a few conspiracy theories over the idea of the chinese deliberately sending plague rats to europe. True or not who knows.

First of all, nobody back then knew that infected rats were the source of the plague, not even the Chinese. Secondly, the earliest contact between Europeans and China was the 1500s through Jesuit missionaries. There was no real reason for the Chinese to do such a thing. I call bunk on that one.

 

[soylentgreen]

First of all, nobody back then knew that infected rats were the source of the plague, not even the Chinese. Secondly, the earliest contact between Europeans and China was the 1500s through Jesuit missionaries. There was no real reason for the Chinese to do such a thing. I call bunk on that one.

The chinese had a sophisticated understanding of medicine and diseases compared to europe which was still praying for cures.

You really need to read up on the history of the silk road if you think the earliest contact was through jesuit missionaries.
They were well aware of europe through trade and knew europe as a competing civilisation to china.

China certainly has the means, motive and opportunity. All that is really lacking here is actual proof of a deliberate attack.

 

[Northern Light]

The chinese had a sophisticated understanding of medicine and diseases compared to europe which was still praying for cures.

You really need to read up on the history of the silk road if you think the earliest contact was through jesuit missionaries.
They were well aware of europe through trade and knew europe as a competing civilisation to china.

China certainly has the means, motive and opportunity. All that is really lacking here is actual proof of a deliberate attack.

I know all about the silk road. One of my degrees is in international relations with a focus on east Asia. I've lived in China and I speak the language. The Jesuits were the first emissaries of European governments to make official contact with the Chinese government. Obviously traders knew about China but there were no official economic or political ties between Europe and China. You keep accusing me of ignorance when your own ignorance is astounding.

The article says the Yersinia plague that started the Black Death originated from Kyrgyzstan. They have phylogenetic data confirming this. Their research is peer reviewed. Do you have scientific evidence to backup your assertion that China was doing germ warfare in the 14th century against Europe, a region it had no political contact with yet?

It seems like you are projecting a modern hatred of China onto an old, dynastic China, with no evidence.

 

[soylentgreen]

I know all about the silk road. One of my degrees is in international relations with a focus on east Asia. I've lived in China and I speak the language. The Jesuits were the first emissaries of European governments to make official contact with the Chinese government. Obviously traders knew about China but there were no official economic or political ties between Europe and China. You keep accusing me of ignorance when your own ignorance is astounding.

How white of you to demand no interest was shown until the euopeans decided to show interest by sending jesuits.

The article says the Yersinia plague that started the Black Death originated from Kyrgyzstan. They have phylogenetic data confirming this. Their research is peer reviewed. Do you have scientific evidence to backup your assertion that China was doing germ warfare in the 14th century against Europe, a region it had no political contact with yet?

It seems like you are projecting a modern hatred of China onto an old, dynastic China, with no evidence.

You're getting a bit ridiculous making demands for proof when I have stated a few times that this is simply a historical conspiracy that gives an argument of means, motive and opportunity but lacks any factual evidence to prove it.
If you actually had the knowledge you claim you would know historians have long believed china to be the source of the plague.

 

[Northern Light]

How white of you to demand no interest was shown until the euopeans decided to show interest by sending jesuits.

No need to make racist remarks. You don't even know my ethnicity.

You're getting a bit ridiculous making demands for proof when I have stated a few times that this is simply a historical conspiracy that gives an argument of means, motive and opportunity but lacks any factual evidence to prove it.
If you actually had the knowledge you claim you would know historians have long believed china to be the source of the plague.

You were asked for proof but still won't provide any. You want everyone to believe that China engaged in biowarfare with Europe before first contact yet won't provide a shred of evidence.

Just because China might be the source of the plague doesn't mean they deliberately engaged in biowarfare.

Furthermore, it's racist to suggest that China is the source of the world's major plagues, especially given the new phylogenetic evidence that the Black Death strain came from Kyrgyzstan.

You've got absolutely nothing. We're done here.

 

[soylentgreen]

No need to make racist remarks. You don't even know my ethnicity.



You were asked for proof but still won't provide any. You want everyone to believe that China engaged in biowarfare with Europe before first contact yet won't provide a shred of evidence.

Just because China might be the source of the plague doesn't mean they deliberately engaged in biowarfare.

Furthermore, it's racist to suggest that China is the source of the world's major plagues, especially given the new phylogenetic evidence that the Black Death strain came from Kyrgyzstan.

You've got absolutely nothing. We're done here.

Are you that ignorant that you do not know what being white means.
I also stated many times the lack of proof. So your asking is either that you cannot bother reading what is there or you lack comprehension skills.

Again how white of you to keep assuming contact is only made when the europeans decide to make contact.

Do you even have a clue where krygyzstan is to pretend that china would not know of it.?

Please yes be done with me as yours is an absurdity I could do without.