Ancient DNA reveals how plague kept returning for 400 years after the Black Death

Ancient DNA has provided new insights into the history of plague in Europe. It revealed that plague repeatedly returned to the continent for more than 400 years after the devastating Black Death pandemic. The disease evolved into new genetic lineages over the centuries. Its spread was closely linked to trade routes, population migration, and wartime conflicts. For this research, scientists developed a special method. This method allows for more precise dating of ancient plague genomes. Thanks to it, many of the found genomes could be linked to specific epidemics that are detailed in historical records.