Sacha Kacki

Distinct clones of yersinia pestis caused the Black Death

From AD 1347 to AD 1353, the Black Death killed tens of millions of people in Europe, leaving misery and devastation in its wake, with successive epidemics ravaging the continent until the 18th century. The etiology of this disease has remained highly controversial, ranging from claims based on genetics and the historical descriptions of symptoms that it was caused by Yersinia pestis to conclusions that it must have been caused by other pathogens. It has also been disputed whether plague had the same etiology in northern and southern Europe. Here we identified DNA and protein signatures specific for Y. pestis in human skeletons from mass graves in northern, central and southern Europe that were associated archaeologically with the Black Death and subsequent resurgences. We confirm that Y. pestis caused the Black Death and later epidemics on the entire European continent over the course of four centuries. Furthermore, on the basis of 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms plus the absence of a deletion in glpD gene, our aDNA results identified two previously unknown but related clades of Y. pestis associated with distinct medieval mass graves. These findings suggest that plague was imported to Europe on two or more occasions, each following a distinct route. These two clades are ancestral to modern isolates of Y. pestis biovars Orientalis and Medievalis. Our results clarify the etiology of the Black Death and provide a paradigm for a detailed historical reconstruction of the infection routes followed by this disease.

Demographic Patterns Distinctive of Epidemic Cemeteries in Archaeological Samples.

The analysis of biological parameters such as age and sex is particularly relevant to the interpretation of ancient skeletal assemblages related to abrupt mortality crises, and more particularly epidemics. In such a context, the mechanisms of selection within a population or part of a population differ according to the pathogen involved. They may also vary depending on the period and location in which the population lived. Here, we illustrate the specificity of plague mortality through the study of several European burial sites contemporary with the first and second plague pandemics. The paleodemographic patterns obtained for different plague outbreaks from the 6th to the 16th centuries reveal some constant features over time and space as well as some differences that suggest a possible evolution in the epidemiological characteristics of the disease.

Probable hepatic capillariosis and hydatidosis in an adolescent from the late Roman period buried in Amiens (France).

Two calcified objects recovered from a 3rd to 4th-century grave of an adolescent in Amiens (Northern France) were identified as probable hydatid cysts. By using thin-section petrographic techniques, probable Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) eggs were identified in the wall of the cysts. Human hepatic capillariosis has not been reported from archaeological material so far, but could be expected given the poor level of environmental hygiene prevalent in this period. Identification of tissue-dwelling parasites such as C. hepaticum in archaeological remains is particularly dependent on preservation conditions and taphonomic changes and should be interpreted with caution due to morphological similarities with Trichuris sp. eggs.

New Evidence of Entamoeba histolytica Infections in Pre-Columbian and Colonial Cemeteries in the Caribbean

Abstract: ELISA was used to test the presence of the human pathogenic amoeba Entamoeba histolytica in archaeological samples from 2 cemeteries in Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean. Results show that 15.9% of the population was infected during the colonial period, a value comparable to the current rates observed in humans in adjacent countries. This study also confirms the presence of the current strain of E. histolytica in pre-Columbian South America before the European colonization in the 15th century and raises the possibility of an earlier transfer from Europe to the Americas.

Erosive polyarthropathy in a Late Roman skeleton from northern France: A new case of rheumatoid arthritis from the pre-Columbian Old Word?

A skeleton from the Late Roman period, recovered in Amiens, northern France, exhibits multiple symmetrical marginal erosions, primarily involving the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints. Other skeletal changes include erosions of several peripheral joints and some entheses, and severe osteoporosis. Macroscopic and radiological aspects of the lesions, as well as the absence of spinal and sacroiliac joints involvement, are consistent with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Differential diagnosis includes other erosive arthropathies, in particular the diseases belonging to the spondyloarthropathy group. This case provides a new evidence of the presence of rheumatoid arthritis in Western Europe long before the colonisation of the Americas by Europeans.

Differential diagnosis of carpal and tarsal ankylosis on dry bones: Example from the catacomb of Saints Peter and Marcellinus (Rome, 1st–3rd century AD)

Bone ankylosis is a pathological feature that may occur in many chronic diseases involving joints. In paleopathology, it is therefore challenging to attribute such a change to a specific condition. Here, we illustrate the differential diagnosis by discussing the lesions observed on an incomplete skeleton from the Roman period, recovered from the catacomb of Saints Peter and Marcellinus (Rome, Italy). The skeleton exhibits several bone changes, including ankylosis on both feet and the left hand. The right tarsal fusion is accompanied by soft tissue ossifications involving the plantar aponeurosis and the tendinous structures connecting the great toes proximal phalanx and sesamoid bones. The lesions recorded suggest that a spondyloarthropathy is the most likely cause of these extensive fusions.

Études paléopathologiques de cas d’une atteinte rachidienne rare : les vertèbres en papillon

RésuméLes vertèbres dites en papillon (sagittal cleft vertebrae) sont consécutives à un défaut de fusion du corps vertébral plus ou moins étendu. Cette anomalie du développement (diastématomyélie de type 1 ou rachischisis antérieur), qui implique généralement une seule vertèbre, peut induire une division complète du corps vertébral en deux hémivertèbres de forme triangulaire. Une revue de la littérature fait apparaitre que cette anomalie est encore assez peu décrite en paléopathologie. Notre étude contribue à la connaissance de cette malformation rachidienne dans les populations du passé, par la présentation de sept cas inédits provenant de contextes funéraires de chronologie et d’origine géographique variées. L’un d’entre eux représenterait le premier cas paléopathologique égyptien de vertèbre en papillon. L’étude illustre la grande diversité d’expression des vertèbres en papillon en contexte ostéoarchéologique, notamment dans leur forme la plus bénigne, asymptomatique et sans complication associée. Ce travail livre de nouveaux témoignages d’une pathologie qui, en raison de son origine congénitale, peut être autant un élément de description individuelle qu’un outil d’identification des éventuels liens d’apparentement.AbstractSagittal cleft (or “butterfly”) vertebra is a more or less extensive developmental anomaly in the fusion of the vertebra. Also known as diastematomyeiia or anterior rachischisis, this anomaly usually involves a single vertebra, which can become segmented into two separate triangular shapes resembling the wings of a butterfly. We found that this sagittal cleft is rarely described in palaeopathology literature. This paper presents a study of 7 original cases from different chronological and geographical burial contexts, one of which could be the first palaeopathological evidence of this condition in ancient Egypt. Our study shows the wide range of morphological variability in osteo-archaeological expressions of this anomaly, from minor asymptomatic clefts with no associated complications to complete segmentation associated with compensatory changes in adjacent vertebrae. It thus contributes new knowledge on this spinal malformation in ancient populations, providing new illustrations of a pathological condition which, due to its congenital origin, can serve not only as a descriptor of individuals but also as a means of identifying potential kinships.

From burials to population identity: archaeological appraisal of the status of a Lesser Antilles colonial cemetery (Baillif, Guadeloupe)

Settlements and cemeteries associated with a European colonial presence provide rich opportunities to gain insights into the character and composition of those populations, even in the absence of written records. The study reported here has the added fascination of a detective story, seeking to match an unknown burial ground to a series of known but long lost cemeteries. The systematic analysis of the graves and their occupants is carried out within a comparative framework which highlights the variable composition and distinguishing features of the different types of graveyard that are encountered within a colonial context. The authors conclude that the Baillif cemetery was a nineteenth-century military graveyard, and that many of the young men who were buried here were new recruits who fell victim to endemic diseases such as dysentery, yellow fever and malaria.

Palaeopathological diagnosis of spondyloarthropathies: Insights from the biomedical literature

In palaeopathology, the diagnosis of spondyloarthropathies traditionally relies on the association of three types of skeletal lesions: erosive and proliferative modifications of the sacroiliac joint, formation of vertebral syndesmophytes and erosive and proliferative changes in peripheral joints. These conditions can therefore be recognised only in well-preserved skeletons that exhibit the most typical pattern of lesions. In order to develop additional criteria for the diagnosis of spondyloarthropathies, a literature survey was conducted as a preliminary step by comparing biomedical data with the palaeopathological literature. We point out musculoskeletal changes and localisations rarely, if ever, used for identification of spondyloarthropathies in skeletal material. Whereas a specific focus has been put on entheseal changes encountered in spondyloarthropathies, the results highlight skeletal changes that may contribute to the diagnosis of the spondyloarthropathies from osseous remains such as erosive lesions of the temporomandibular joint and erosive changes of entheses in the pectoral girdle. Recording of these lesions in future studies of archaeological samples would contribute to discussions of their diagnostic relevance.

Réévaluation des arguments de simultanéité des dépôts de cadavres : l’exemple des sépultures plurielles de la catacombe des Saints Pierre-et-Marcellin (Rome)

RésuméEn pratique archéologique, la distinction entre sépultures collectives et sépultures multiples se fonde généralement sur l’analyse des relations physiques entre squelettes et de l’état des connexions articulaires. Cependant, si l’utilité de cette démarche n’est plus à démontrer, elle connait également ses limites, devenant inopérante lorsque la mauvaise conservation des ossements ou une séparation physique entre squelettes exclut l’identification de contacts entre individus. La simple dichotomie entre sépultures collectives et sépultures multiples apparaît par ailleurs insuffisante pour caractériser l’ensemble des cas de figures rencontrés et pour résumer les comportements humains qui ont conduit à l’inhumation de nombreux défunts en un même lieu. Les sépultures plurielles de la catacombe des Saints Pierre-et-Marcellin (Rome, Ier-IIIe siècle) en sont un parfait exemple. Dans cet espace funéraire souterrain, de larges salles ont accueilli le dépôt de centaines de cadavres, selon une dynamique originale. L’étude du site conduit à évaluer la pertinence de certains critères communément usités pour attester la simultanéité des dépôts en archéologie funéraire et met en évidence l’intérêt de l’utilisation de certains arguments alternatifs: rapport entre la capacité des chambres sépulcrales et le volume des corps (appréhendés à l’aide d’une modélisation tridimensionnelle), modalités de gestion funéraire, évolution taphonomique des strates de cadavres et répartition spatiales des individus en fonction de leurs âges au décès. La conjonction de ces différents arguments démontre que les chambres sépulcrales ont accueilli des dépôts simultanés de cadavres, lesquels ont cependant été opérés en plusieurs phases successives.AbstractIn archaeology, distinguishing between multiple burials (simultaneous deposits) and collective burials (successive deposits) generally relies on analyses of physical contacts between skeletons and the state of their joints. Although the usefulness of this approach is widely recognised, it does have some limitations, as it is ineffective when the bones are too poorly preserved or when there is no physical contact between the skeletons. Moreover, the dichotomy between collective burials and multiple burials seems too simplistic to characterise all the grave types that may be encountered and to summarise all the human behaviour patterns that can result in the deposit of numerous bodies in the same place. The mass graves in the catacomb of Saint Peter and Marcellinus (Rome, 1st–3rd century) clearly illustrate these issues. In this underground burial space, thousands of individuals were deposited in several huge chambers, in an unusual pattern. Our analysis of these graves raises questions about the suitability of the criteria commonly used to diagnose the simultaneity of burials, and highlights the usefulness of a number of alternative arguments, namely the ratio between the capacity of burial chambers and the volume of the corpses (calculated via three-dimensional modelling), management of the corpses, taphonomy of the layers of skeletons and the spatial distribution of the bodies according to age at death. Taken together, these arguments show that corpses were indeed deposited simultaneously in the burial chambers, but that this was done at several successive points in time.