McKeough, Anthony (Archaeological Sciences Laboratories, University of Queensland)

Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosy: DNA Analysis of the Plague Bacillus from Late Medieval London

The plague has been one of the most devastating diseases throughout history. People have been exposed to the disease from as early as 1320 BC, particularly between the mid-14th century and the mid-20th century. The widespread occurrence of the plague left its mark on the archaeological record in the form of plague burials. This study aimed to solve the lack of methodology available to detect the plague by using DNA analysis to identify Yersinia pestis (the causative agent of the plague) in archaeological samples.

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