DNA of the Black Death

Digs & Discoveries November 1, 2011

Scientists are still exploring the mysteries of one of the deadliest pandemics the world has ever known: the Black Death, the medieval disease outbreak that killed millions in Europe between 1347 and 1351.
SHARE:

Scientists are still exploring the mysteries of one of the deadliest pandemics the world has ever known: the Black Death, the medieval disease outbreak that killed millions in Europe between 1347 and 1351. At the time, it was attributed to bad air—some kind of generalized pestilential miasma. Today, blame is believed to reside with Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, though the historical pandemic was clearly more virulent— and faster-spreading—than any modern version of the disease.

Several recent DNA studies have confirmed the presence of Y. pestis in medieval graves across Europe. The most recent work in the field is examining its genome to sort out what exactly made the older version of the plague different. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined the remains of 100 plague victims buried near London. It reveals that the Black Death was caused by a previously unknown variant of Y. pestis that no longer exists. But the multinational team has not yet found the specific genetic reason for the difference in plague virulence between then and now. "The search goes on," says study coauthor Jim Wood of Pennsylvania State University.

  • Features November/December 2025

    Acts of Faith

    Evidence emerges of the day in 1562 when an infamous Spanish cleric tried to destroy Maya religion

    Read Article
    Adriana Rosas/Alamy
  • Features November/December 2025

    Temples to Tradition

    A looted cache of bronzes compels archaeologists to explore Celtic sanctuaries across Burgundy

    Read Article
    The temple at the Gallo-Roman sanctuary in Couan in east-central France
    M. Thivet, MSHE
  • Features November/December 2025

    Oasis Makers of Arabia

    Researchers are just beginning to understand how people thrived in the desert of Oman some 5,000 years ago

    Read Article
    Beehive-shaped tombs at the site of Al-Ayn, Oman
    Vadim Nefedov/Alamy
  • Features November/December 2025

    Searching for Venezuela’s Undiscovered Artists

    Inspired by their otherworldly landscape, ancient people created a new rock art tradition

    Read Article
    José Miguel Pérez-Gómez