Researchers confirmed Yersinia pestis, later behind the Black Death, caused the Justinian Plague 1,500 years ago.
They traced the bacterium to its epicentre beneath Jerash’s ancient ruins in Jordan.
The team identified Y. pestis in a mass grave, providing the first direct biological proof of the plague.
Lead author Rays HY Jiang said DNA evidence fills gaps left by centuries of historical accounts.
Justinian Plague Devastated Eastern Mediterranean
The pandemic began in 541 CE, sweeping across the Byzantine Empire and eastern Mediterranean.
Historians estimate it killed 15 to 100 million people over two centuries of recurring outbreaks.
Yersinia pestis spreads via fleas on rodents, especially rats, and transmits directly through its pneumonic form.
Ancient DNA Reveals Outbreak Details
Researchers analyzed eight teeth from Jerash’s Roman hippodrome burial chambers using advanced DNA methods.
DNA showed victims carried almost identical Y. pestis strains, confirming the bacterium’s presence between 550 and 660 AD.
The findings suggest a rapid, deadly outbreak, matching historical descriptions of mass fatalities.
Jiang said Jerash’s mass graves show how urban centers struggled to cope with public health disasters.
Plague’s Legacy Across Millennia
Y. pestis circulated among humans long before Justinian’s outbreak, the study revealed.
Later pandemics, including the Black Death and modern cases, arose independently from animal reservoirs.
Jiang warned that plague, like COVID, evolves continuously and will never fully disappear, requiring ongoing caution.
