How do we study past plagues?

Question 1

how do we learn about past plagues?

Answer 1

paleopathology
paleoparasitology
aDNA
art
chronicles
death certificates

Question 2

paleopathology

Answer 2

science of interpreting evidence of disease in ancient human remains
includes all parts of body left: bones, teeth, hair, skin tissue, etc.

describe and analyze standard observations on remains
differential diagnosis- comparing presentation of numerous possible diseases and ideally arriving at single most likely diagnosis

direct evidence from human remains
indirect evidence from compromises, soil analysis and animal remains

historical emphasis on individual, modern emphasis on populations

Question 3

direct evidence of disease in past

Answer 3

mummies
skeletal and dental remains
DNA

Question 4

mummies

Answer 4

relatively rare
need hot and dry, or cold and dry, or anaerobic conditions

Question 5

the tollund man

Answer 5

a “bog body”
natural mummification
found in Danish peat bog
could learn about his stomach contents and see his fact very well

Question 6

egyptian mummies evidence of disease

Answer 6

smallpox scars on Ramses V
DNA evidence king tut had malaria

Question 7

what is standard for paleopathology?

Answer 7

mostly teeth and bones since they preserve better than soft tissue

paleopatholgists look for:
Normal vs abnormal
- shape
-size
-bone formation
bone loss
fractures? dislocations?
arthritis?
developmental abormalities?
genetic disease?

bones are slow to respond, it takes time for lesions to develop
bone has 2 reactions: growth and resorption

Question 8

where do bones come from?

Answer 8

archaeological excavations (cemeteries, villages, houses, ceremonial places)
salvage archaeology (building roads, buildings, pipes)
erosion
past graverobbing

Question 9

syphillis bone signs

Answer 9

treponema pallidum
skull: worm eaten appaearance
extra bone on front of tibia (saber shins)

Question 10

TB skeletal signs

Answer 10

not many except for Pott’s disease, aka spinal collapse

Question 11

leprosy skeletal signs

Answer 11

resorption of bone on the front of the head or the extremities

Question 12

describe dental pathology

Answer 12

looking at teeth as reservoirs of aDNA, and other information since they preserve very well.

dental carries, antemortem (before death) tooth loss, dental abscess, dental calculus, periodontal disease

Question 13

what is paleoparasitology

Answer 13

study of parasites in ancient material.

Question 14

coprolite

Answer 14

preserved feces
found in ancient bathrooms, or from stomach area of burial
preserved parasites and eggs

Question 15

how can fleas be found in paleoparasitology?

Answer 15

found from mummies, clothing, living areas
mostly preserved eggs

Question 16

describe the excavation of Richard III

Answer 16

found roundworm eggs in his stomach
under a parking lot I think?

Question 17

what is aDNA?

Answer 17

ancient DNA isolated from ancient specimens
hard to find, very fragile. ancient extracts are mixtures of DNA (human, pathogen, internal microbiota and environmental microbiota)

sample taken > extracted and purified > input into DNA library > sequenced > mapped > authenticated > analyzed

not always used because its destructive to extract, expensive, and often fails (DNA doesnt preserve well)

Question 18

how can art be used to learn about past plages?

Answer 18

depicts deformities and disease

Question 19

how can historical records be used?

Answer 19

chronicles, letters, diaries, newspapers, parish records and death certificates. theyre biased but theyre informative. sometimes hard to read or understand past language