On Jun, 15, 2022, a multidisciplinary team of scientists, announced they had obtained and studied ancient Y. pestis genomes that trace the pandemic’s origins to Central Asia. The Black Death, the biggest pandemic of our history, was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and lasted in Europe between the years 1346 and 1353. Despite the pandemic’s immense demographic and societal impacts, its origins have long been elusive.

The team’s first results were very encouraging, as DNA from the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, was identified in individuals with the year 1338 inscribed on their tombstones.