The bacterium Y. pestis is the causative agent for the Black Death pandemic that took place in the fourteenth century and lasted for approximately five hundred years. The Black Death pandemic has been termed one of the largest catastrophes pertaining to infectious diseases in the history of the world. It is estimated that the pandemic claimed the lives of more than sixty percent of the population in western Eurasia over eight years after its second attack. The Black Death pandemic has left behind profound socioeconomic and demographic impacts in the areas where it spread. Until now, the historical record of the disease in Europe has been the most extensively studied to unravel its origin.
The long-lasting consequences and devastating demographic impact of the medieval Black Death, also called the bubonic plague, has for years motivated researchers to conduct continuous investigations on the topic. The pandemic ran from 1346 AD to 1353 AD (Callaway, 2022). Archeological evidence linked to the bubonic plague had been discovered in modern-day Kyrgyzstan, fueling debates that the region could be the source of the plague. The evidence was found from cemeteries located close to Lake Issyk-Kul. Researchers believe these sites housed the victims of the Black Death epidemic in the fourteenth century as their inscriptions date back to the time when the pestilence is believed to have begun gathering momentum; that is, 1338-1339 (Callaway, 2022). The tombstones at the cemeteries also state that the cause of death of the buried individuals was ‘pestilence.’
The report examines ancient DNA data obtained from seven individuals whose remains were exhumed from two cemeteries at Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. These cemeteries are Burana and Kara-Djigach. The synthesis of the ancient, historical, and archeological genomic data obtained from the seven individuals clearly shows that the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis was involved in the pestilence that resulted in their demise. The researchers reconstructed the ancient genomes of Y. pestis to identify their origin. The reconstruction results showed that two of the genomes represent a strain that is the most recent common ancestor to the major diversification associated with the pandemic’s emergence (Callaway, 2022). The strain was dated back to the early fourteenth century. The Y. pestis strain represented by the two reconstructed genomes compared to the modern-day diversity present in Y. pestis reservoirs obtained from the Tian Shan region supported the theory that the ancient strain recovered was responsible for a local emergence. The researchers discovered multiple sources of evidence that support their data on the origin of the second pandemic plague that took place in the early fourteenth century in central Eurasia.
The reconstruction of the genomes from the plague bacteria that have ancestral links to the plague bacteria responsible for the Black Death has been a huge breakthrough for the epidemiologic community, according to the independent scholar and medieval historian Monica Green. She states that the closest the scientific community will ever get to understanding the Black Death pandemic is through the headstones at the Lake Issyk-Kul cemeteries. The discovery has affirmed the previous assumption that the lineage of Y. pestis was present during the pandemic. However, Green is unsure that the birth of the species occurred during the 1338-1339 deaths in Kyrgyzstan (Callaway, 2022). She hypothesizes that the expansion of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century is the most likely catalyst for the diversification and spread of the Y. pestis strains credited with the Black Death pandemic judging from the historical, ecological, and genetic evidence obtained so far. The report by Spyrou, Slavin, and Krause et al. is a landmark in the study of the first and second outbreaks of the Black Death pandemic within and beyond Europe.
The methods and models of pathology that we have studied in this course shed light on numerous factors concerning the discovery of the origin of the Black Death. The techniques used in pathology include necroscopy, urinalysis, hematological tests, radiography, anatomical pathology, and the microscopic examination of tissues. Necroscopy is the surgical examination of bodies after death. It is done by dissecting a corpse to determine the manner, mode, and cause of death or to examine any present injuries or diseases for educational and research purposes (Shaw & Sykes, 2018). Diagnostic microbiology was also used to identify the origin of the bacteria found in the specimen of the seven individuals. Diagnostic microbiology is done by isolating microorganisms from the sample and culturing them for relevant research (Shaw & Sykes, 2018). The results obtained are then scientifically interpreted to yield meaning.
Radiography is perhaps the most useful pathology method in the study of archeological findings. Since its origin, it has been used to analyze ecofacts and artifacts obtained from the excavation of archeological sites. Archeologists use CT and X-ray investigations to allow them to investigate these sites without causing significant damage, hence the term they are given; non-destructive examination techniques (Shaw & Sykes, 2018). Radiography can be applied to the study to examine skeletonized or mummified human remains of the seven excavated individuals. Radiological methods in archeology contribute to the evidence concerning an individual’s life, including their cause of death and age.
Anatomic pathology is concerned with the molecular, macroscopic, immunologic, microscopic, and biochemical examination of tissues and organs to diagnose illnesses. The method of pathology can be incorporated in the study of the origin of the Black Death, where the tissues and organs of the seven individuals are collected and examined biochemically, macroscopically, immunologically, molecularly, and microscopically to determine whether or not the pestilence which they died of was related to the Y. pestis bacteria. In this case, the concerned tissues are the bone tissues, while the concerned organs are the different bones available (Shaw & Sykes, 2018). Unlike in the past, where anatomic pathology involved examining the whole body, today, it can be centered on specific body parts where the relevant information can be obtained.
Researching pathology using nature study is a very effective way of deriving efficient results. Nature study involves observing the things under research and drawing conclusions from observations. I find it effective as it does not focus significantly on memorizing terminologies and concepts related to pathology. Instead, it encourages understanding the subjects under study without reference to their relationship or systematic order with other subjects. The advantage of researching pathology using nature study is that the mind and eye are trained to comprehend and see the natural things around them to connect the dots between related objects. For instance, the research conducted to discover the origin of the bubonic plague did not rely on scientific terminologies. Instead, the researchers went out to the field and studied the surroundings around the long-debated origin of the epidemic. They then made several findings, collected specimens, and conducted pathological studies on the sample to derive their groundbreaking results. The disadvantage of researching pathology through nature study is that it can take up immense resources such as time and money.
I find no concern with the findings obtained, especially since the researchers concisely documented every step of their study, making it easy for me as the reader to follow from the beginning to the end. The findings suited the research study as it had been conducted. They did not appear exaggerated or biased. The study raised more questions on what resulted in the wider outbreak of the Bubonic plague that took place within and outside Europe, also termed the second Black Death pandemic. It would be interesting to compare the mortality patterns and demographics of the victims of the Kara-Djigach plague with the results obtained from the bubonic plague victims in Europe. The research fails to answer the question, “what started the bubonic plague, and where did it start?” It links the Eurasia Black Death pandemic to the one that took place in Kyrgyzstan. An analysis of the remains of Chinese victims will shed light on what happened in East Asia to promote the rapid spread of the plague. Therefore, presently, the research does not answer all of our queries. It is not entirely certain that ten years from now, there will be no discoveries on the bubonic plagues that may change our thinking towards the findings from these studies since archeology is ever-evolving and discoveries linking various diverse subjects with each other are constantly made. Overall, the information from the study is valuable as it evidences the connection between Nature Study, pathology, and archeology. It can be used for further research into the Black Death pandemic in Asia with the hopes of finally pinning down the original causative agent.
References
Callaway, E. (2022). Ancient DNA traces the origin of black death. Nature, 606(7915), 635–636. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01673-4
Shaw, J., & Sykes, N. (2018). New directions in the archaeology of medicine: Deep-time approaches to human-animal-environmental care. World Archaeology, 50(3), 365–383. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2018.1574393
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