New methods for investigating past epidemics (Archaeology, Paleopathology, ancient DNA)

In recent years there was a new, strong interest for the cemeteries of ancient epidemics and new archaeological and molecular methods of looking at this question were adopted and many mass and multiple burials were explored. We can mention in England the accurate excavations of the Black Death cemetery (1349), at East Smithfield in London, with 560 individuals, in France the Observance convent (1720-1722), at Marseille, with 179 individuals, the trenches of the Capucins of Ferrières in Martigues, at Bouches-du-Rhône, with 33 individuals of same period, the cemetery of hospital of Fédons (1590), at Lambesc, with 133 individuals, and other important sites. In Italy we have the recent discoveries of the large plague cemetery of Saint Michael at Alghero (1582-1583) in Sardinia, with 198 individuals and of the cholera cemeteries of the castle of Benabbio at Bagni di Lucca, with 43 individuals, and the parish cemetery of Badia Pozzeveri, at Altopascio, Lucca, both of 1855 pandemic. Clarification of the human context of the epidemics via bioarchaeology, i.e. the study of ancient human skeletal remains with the aim of the history, archaeology, demography and paleopathology to establish the life style of past populations, is fundamental. It is clear from molecular studies that the plague epidemics were caused by Yersinia pestis, and some researchers even claimed that the Yersinia pestis orientalis genotype was involved in all the pandemics. Regarding the cholera pandemic of 1855, the project is to find ancient DNA of the pathogen among the human remains, because the soil around the bodies may contain traces of Vibrio sp. In conclusion, the integration of bioarcheology with paleo-microbiology will offer a potent tool for understanding the epidemiology of epidemics, eventual effects of other diseases on the emergence of plague and human-pathogen coevolution, addressing questions of great interest for different researchers, as historians, physical anthropologists and geneticists.