Researchers confirmed Yersinia pestis caused the Justinian Plague, the world’s first recorded pandemic 1,500 years ago.
They traced the bacterium to its epicentre for the first time, solving a centuries-old mystery.
Archaeologists found traces of Yersinia pestis in a mass grave beneath Jerash’s ancient ruins in Jordan.
Lead author Rays HY Jiang said the discovery provides the first genetic evidence of the plague.
How the Plague Spread
The Justinian Plague began in 541 CE and devastated the eastern Mediterranean and Byzantine Empire.
Historians estimate it killed 15 to 100 million people over two centuries of recurring outbreaks.
Researchers confirmed Yersinia pestis caused the outbreak, the same bacterium that later triggered the Black Death.
Fleas living on rodents spread the disease, and pneumonic transmission passed it directly between humans.
DNA Unlocks Ancient History
Scientists analyzed eight human teeth from burial chambers under Jerash’s Roman hippodrome using advanced DNA techniques.
They discovered nearly identical strains of Yersinia pestis, confirming its presence between 550 and 660 AD.
The DNA findings suggest the plague spread swiftly, consistent with historical accounts of mass fatalities.
Lessons From Ancient Epidemics
Jiang explained Jerash’s mass graves reveal how cities struggled to cope with public health disasters.
The site, once a hub of trade and entertainment, became a mass cemetery during the outbreak.
A related study shows Yersinia pestis circulated among humans for millennia before Justinian’s pandemic.
Later outbreaks, including the Black Death and modern cases, arose independently from animal reservoirs.
Jiang warned that plague continues to evolve and will remain a global health threat, like COVID.
