3,290-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy Reveals Oldest Recorded Case of Black Death Plague (1686-1449 BC)

Dec 27, 2024, 12:46 AM

Scientists have discovered traces of the Black Death plague in the DNA of a 3,290-year-old Egyptian mummy, marking it as one of the oldest recorded cases of the disease. The individual, who was anthropogenically mummified, has been radiocarbon-dated to the end of the Second Intermediate Period and the beginning of the New Kingdom, approximately between 1686 and 1449 BC. This finding suggests that the disease was present in ancient Egypt long before it devastated Europe in the medieval period, providing new insights into the historical spread of the plague.