Unraveling the first world pandemic in an ancient cosmopolitan city with archaeological and genetic evidence

Abstract

Abstract The first world pandemic (541–767 CE) was investigated using archaeological, proteomic, genetic, and genomic technologies. Focusing on a mass burial site in Jerash, present-day Jordan, we generated evidence of a pandemic for the first time in this region of cultural and geopolitical significance. The burial site predates the Black Death by approximately 800 years, located in a unique cosmopolitan city at a cultural crossroad. The excavation results suggest an abrupt outbreak because the burials appeared to have occurred within a relatively short time range, encompassing a wide demographic range that included children, adolescents, and adults in comparable numbers. The stable isotope data revealed a diverse range of birth origins among the victims, suggesting the presence of first-generation immigrants in the population. Through whole genome capture and genetic analysis, we identified a Yersinia pestis lineage in multiple individuals of differing birth origins corresponding to the Justinian plague timeframe. This finding establishes the first genetic connection between plague pathogens and the first world pandemic long recorded in historical accounts.