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Plague reached Europe by Stone Age
Plague was present in Europe during the late Stone Age, according to a study of ancient remains. Writing in Current Biology journal, researchers suggest the deadly bacterium entered Europe with a mass migration of people from further east. They screened more than 500 ancient skeletal samples and recovered the full genomes of plague bacteria from six individuals. These six variously date to between Late Neolithic and Bronze Age times.
The plague-positive samples come from Russia, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia and Croatia. "The two samples from Russia and Croatia are among the oldest plague-positive samples published. They are contemporary with [a] previously published sample from the Altai region [in Siberia]," co-author Alexander Herbig from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, Germany, told BBC News.
The Stone Age Plague and Its Persistence in Eurasia (DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.025) (DX)
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Thursday November 23 2017, @11:16PM (2 children)
The stone age folk were smarter than the neanderthals and taught their young to always wash their hands in the nearest stream after fertilizing a non-conspicuous bush. That habit hung on until medieval times, when the Catholic Church convinced everyone disease was caused by not obeying god.
Being hung upside down by their toenails for washing up after pooping may have contributed to the problem, I wasn't there so I can't say.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 1, Disagree) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday November 23 2017, @11:22PM
Meh. We weren't Catholics, but outside of the loud rantings of muh bubinic plague we didn't give a shit.
Nor should anybody else listening to the hysterical rantings of anyone screaming about muh bubonic plague.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday November 24 2017, @01:06AM
-ted it.
Regular bathing prevents leprosy, but up until baptism felt as fresh and as clean as Irish Spring, "Bathing lets evil spirits into our pores."
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]