Angela
Elite member
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Well, this is a shocker.
See:
http://www.archaeology.org/news/5080-161209-pottery-organs-virus
[FONT=arial-black_b]Traces of a Deadly Virus Detected in Celtic Pottery
"[/FONT]WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA—Science Magazinereports that traces of human remains and a deadly virus have been detected in pottery unearthed at Heuneburg, an Iron Age hillfort in Germany. A team led by Conner Wiktorowicz of Purdue University washed the pottery fragments with detergent to remove any residues on them, and then isolated and analyzed protein fragments in the residues. The results were compared to a national protein database, revealing that the pots contained human blood and organs. This is the first time that archaeologists have encountered human remains in pottery vessels in this region during the period between 600 and 450 B.C. Additional proteins in the residues suggest that the individual had Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, which is transmitted by ticks. Scholars now want to know if there was an epidemic of the disease in Iron Age Germany. The investigation also shows that protein analysis could help scientists identify other ancient viruses, which are usually studied through their nucleic acids. “Recovering nucleic acids from ancient viruses is extremely difficult and plagued by contamination,” says forensic anthropologist Angelique Corthals of the City University of New York. “Virus proteins are more readily accessible and less prone to degradation.”
This is a really scary virus. One thing I don't understand is why you have it in Greece and the Balkans but not in the west, like Italy or Spain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean–Congo_hemorrhagic_fever
"The main environmental reservoir for the virus is small mammals (particularly European hare, Middle-African hedgehogs and multimammate rats). Ticks carry the virus to domestic animal stock. Sheep, goats and cattle develop high titers of virus in blood, but tend not to fall ill. Birds are generally resistant with the exception of ostriches."
"Based on the sequence data seven genotypes have been recognised: Africa 1 (Senegal), Africa 2 (Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa), Africa 3 (southern and western Africa), Europe 1 (Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Russia and Turkey), Europe 2 (Greece), Asia 1 (the Middle East, Iran and Pakistan) and Asia 2 (China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan)."
I wonder if this was still around when the Germanic invasions began after the fall of Rome. If it was, it would explain some of the de-population at that period.
See:
http://www.archaeology.org/news/5080-161209-pottery-organs-virus
[FONT=arial-black_b]Traces of a Deadly Virus Detected in Celtic Pottery
"[/FONT]WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA—Science Magazinereports that traces of human remains and a deadly virus have been detected in pottery unearthed at Heuneburg, an Iron Age hillfort in Germany. A team led by Conner Wiktorowicz of Purdue University washed the pottery fragments with detergent to remove any residues on them, and then isolated and analyzed protein fragments in the residues. The results were compared to a national protein database, revealing that the pots contained human blood and organs. This is the first time that archaeologists have encountered human remains in pottery vessels in this region during the period between 600 and 450 B.C. Additional proteins in the residues suggest that the individual had Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, which is transmitted by ticks. Scholars now want to know if there was an epidemic of the disease in Iron Age Germany. The investigation also shows that protein analysis could help scientists identify other ancient viruses, which are usually studied through their nucleic acids. “Recovering nucleic acids from ancient viruses is extremely difficult and plagued by contamination,” says forensic anthropologist Angelique Corthals of the City University of New York. “Virus proteins are more readily accessible and less prone to degradation.”
This is a really scary virus. One thing I don't understand is why you have it in Greece and the Balkans but not in the west, like Italy or Spain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean–Congo_hemorrhagic_fever
"The main environmental reservoir for the virus is small mammals (particularly European hare, Middle-African hedgehogs and multimammate rats). Ticks carry the virus to domestic animal stock. Sheep, goats and cattle develop high titers of virus in blood, but tend not to fall ill. Birds are generally resistant with the exception of ostriches."
"Based on the sequence data seven genotypes have been recognised: Africa 1 (Senegal), Africa 2 (Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa), Africa 3 (southern and western Africa), Europe 1 (Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Russia and Turkey), Europe 2 (Greece), Asia 1 (the Middle East, Iran and Pakistan) and Asia 2 (China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan)."
I wonder if this was still around when the Germanic invasions began after the fall of Rome. If it was, it would explain some of the de-population at that period.