Plague Hits Hunter-Gatherer Community in Siberia, 5,500 Years Ago
Findings contradict long-held notion that agricultural shift led to plague's spread.
Scientists have discovered evidence of a plague epidemic in a community of hunter-gatherers in Siberia, dating back around 5,500 years. The finding challenges the idea that the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture was the primary cause of the plague's spread, which ravaged Europe during the Middle Ages and killed millions of people.
According to researchers, analysis of skeletal remains and other materials found in a Copper Age village in Siberia revealed signs of a bacterial disease similar to the plague. The epidemic would have been devastating, affecting a significant portion of the local population.
The discovery opens up new perspectives on the history of the plague and its dissemination throughout history.
- Hunter-gatherers in Siberia died of a plague outbreak 5,500 years ago · arstechnica.com
How old is the plague found in Siberia?
What is the age of the plague epidemic discovered in Siberia?
What does the discovery of the plague in Siberia suggest about its spread?
The discovery challenges the idea that the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture led to the plague's spread.
What impact did the plague have on the hunter-gatherer community in Siberia?
The plague epidemic would have been devastating, affecting a significant portion of the local population.