When we think of deadly pandemics, the plague often comes to mind, especially because of the devastation it caused during the Middle Ages. However, new research has revealed that the plague-causing bacterium, Yersinia pestis, has existed in Central and Northern Europe for more than 5,000 years. Scientists have wondered if this bacterium, even in its early stages, caused pandemics like the ones we know from later history. Recent findings suggest otherwise.

A team of researchers from several German universities—including Kiel, Münster, Schleswig, and Hamburg—studied ancient human remains from the Neolithic period, a time when humans were transitioning from hunter-gatherer societies to settled farming communities. Led by Prof. Dr. Ben Krause-Kyora of Kiel University, the team wanted to understand if Yersinia pestis caused mass deaths back then. Their findings, published in the journal Communications Biology, suggest that this was not the case.

The researchers analyzed the DNA from the bones of 133 individuals buried in megalithic tombs—large stone structures used for burials—near Warburg in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. These tombs belonged to the Wartberg culture, a group of people who lived between 5,500 and 4,800 years ago. Among the remains, they found the genetic material of Yersinia pestis in only two individuals. Surprisingly, these two people were infected by different strains of the bacterium, lived at different times, and were buried in different tombs. This suggests their infections were isolated incidents rather than part of a larger outbreak that spread through the community.

In the study, scientists performed a genetic analysis on the bones of 133 human individuals from late Neolithic megalithic graves near Warburg in North Rhine-Westphalia. The team discovered the genome of the bacterium Yersinia pestis in the bone samples of two independent individuals
In the study, scientists performed a genetic analysis on the bones of 133 human individuals from late Neolithic megalithic graves near Warburg in North Rhine-Westphalia. The team discovered the genome of the bacterium Yersinia pestis in the bone samples of two independent individuals. Credit: Carsten Reckweg, CRC 1266 / Kiel University

The presence of Yersinia pestis in these isolated cases points to a different picture of its early evolution. We see a wide variety of Yersinia pestis strains during the Neolithic period, which suggests that the bacteria were not very specialized yet, said Prof. Krause-Kyora.

This lack of specialization may have helped the bacterium survive in different environments and hosts, from rodents to humans. But it also indicates that the plague back then was not the same as the deadly epidemics we think of from later periods.

This discovery leads to a new understanding: Megalithic tombs are not mass graves of plague victims. The low number of plague cases found among the 133 individuals supports this idea. The researchers still do not know if the early strains of Yersinia pestis caused severe symptoms like the ones seen in later, more famous outbreaks.

Preparation of bones and teeth from archaeological excavations for aDNA analysis in the aDNA laboratory of the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB) at the Quincke Research Centre.
Preparation of bones and teeth from archaeological excavations for aDNA analysis in the aDNA laboratory of the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB) at the Quincke Research Centre. Credit: Jan Steffen, Cluster ROOTS / Kiel University

An interesting question remains: How did people in the Neolithic era get infected? Unlike the medieval strains, the Neolithic strains could not spread through fleas. During this period, deforestation changed Europe’s landscape, attracting new species of rodents that could have carried the plague bacteria. However, it’s unclear how often people came into contact with these animals or their remains.

Adding another layer to this story, researchers also discovered that a Neolithic dog from Sweden was infected with Yersinia pestis. This is the first evidence of a dog being infected with the plague during that time. Dogs were common around human settlements, suggesting that they could have played a role in the isolated cases of infection among humans.

Overall, these findings suggest that while the plague bacterium was present in or near human settlements during the Neolithic period, it caused only isolated infections rather than widespread disease outbreaks.

SOURCES

Kiel University

Susat, J., Haller-Caskie, M., Bonczarowska, J.H. et al. Neolithic Yersinia pestis infections in humans and a dog. Commun Biol 7, 1013 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06676-7

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