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Plague first came to Britain from Europe at least 4000 years ago

30 May 2023

DNA from Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that caused the Black Death, has been found in the teeth of three people who lived in Britain during the Bronze Age
skull

Earliest known bubonic plague strain found in 5000-year-old skull

29 June 2021

The bacterium behind the Black Death, which wrought devastation in medieval times, has been found in the skull of a man living 5000 years ago in Latvia – it’s the earliest known plague strain

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