Scientists have finally unraveled the long-standing enigma surrounding the mass burial of deceased children by hunter-gatherers in Russia 5,500 years ago. The revelation indicates that these children fell victim to an ancient outbreak of the plague caused by Yersinia pestis, shedding new light on the nature of the disease.
The research study, recently published in Nature by an international team of scientists, including Canadian researchers, highlights that the bacterium Yersinia pestis, notorious for triggering the Black Death epidemic in 14th-century Europe, had already exhibited deadly effects on humans millennia earlier. Moreover, it was found to have the capability of spreading within hunter-gatherer communities, not solely among individuals residing in 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 lethal plague outbreaks among hunter-gatherer societies. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the historical impact of the disease.
The investigation, spearheaded by Andrzej Weber, a professor of anthropology at the University of Alberta, and Angela Lieverse, a professor of archaeology at the University of Saskatchewan, delves into remains unearthed from a prehistoric hunter-gatherer settlement near Lake Baikal in Russia. Over the course of a 40-year project, the Baikal Archaeology Project has uncovered insights into the lives of ancient communities that resided in the region, engaging in fishing, hunting, and gathering activities.
Lieverse, an expert in analyzing human skeletal remains, detected peculiar patterns in the burial sites, particularly the disproportionate number of children under 12 years old interred at one location. This anomaly prompted further investigation into the cause behind the high child mortality rate.
Collaborating with Macleod, an ancient DNA specialist, the team identified the plague-causing bacterium in the remains, marking a pivotal breakthrough in their research. The plague, endemic in the region even today, was likely transmitted by marmots, large rodents consumed by the hunter-gatherers.
Genetic analysis revealed that the strain of plague responsible for the outbreak possessed a “superantigen” capable of triggering severe inflammatory reactions, particularly affecting children. Unlike the bubonic plague, this strain did not possess genes enabling transmission through fleas.
The study challenges previous notions about the timeline of plague outbreaks, with the Lake Baikal incident predating previous known cases by 300 years. The absence of genes for flea transmission suggests that human-to-human spread was the primary mode of infection in this instance.
The tragic impact of the plague on the hunter-gatherer communities, particularly on children, is evident from the discovery of related individuals succumbing to the disease simultaneously. This finding underscores the importance of understanding the evolution and impact of deadly pathogens throughout history.
Reflecting on the poignant narrative revealed by the prehistoric remains, Lieverse emphasized the significance of telling the victims’ stories and the power of uncovering the past’s untold tragedies.
