Ancient Egyptian mummy found to carry plague bacteria

In a stunning archaeological discovery that’s shaking up the field of history, researchers have identified the plague pathogen inside an ancient Egyptian mummy.

What makes the news truly shocking is that the mummy predates the infamous Black Death—which ravaged Europe for thousands of years, according to a report by the Daily Star. The finding has not only rocked the scientific community but may also fundamentally change how we view humanity’s past.

Plague detected in mummy

It’s well-known that plague—formally known as Yersinia pestis—wiped out millions during the Middle Ages. But according to recent research, it was claiming lives around the world as far back as the Egyptian Bronze Age. Scientists detected the DNA of the deadly bacterium in bone and intestinal tissue from a mummy housed at a museum in Turin, Italy.

“This is the first known ancient Y. pestis genome discovered outside Eurasia, providing molecular evidence that plague existed in ancient Egypt. While we can’t yet determine the full extent of the disease’s spread, this finding changes everything,” the study’s authors stated.

First case found in Africa

The discovery is significant because, until now, all known ancient plague cases had been confined to Europe and Asia. For example, 5,000-year-old skeletons in Russia showed evidence of infection. Now, it’s confirmed that North Africa was also part of the deadly pathogen’s journey.