Plague Persisted in Denmark for 500 Years, Study Finds

At a glance

• Researchers from the University of Copenhagen reconstructed Yersinia pestis genomes, the bacterium responsible for the plague.
• The plague was present in Denmark for at least 500 years.
• The earliest known appearance of Y. pestis in Denmark was in the town of Ribe dating back to 1333 during the Black Death.
• The findings suggest that plague was spread through human-facilitated movement.
• The findings provide a better understanding of the plague’s history in Denmark and the wider region.

The details

Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of Plague in Scandinavia

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen reconstructed Yersinia pestis genomes, the bacterium responsible for the plague, and showed that it was reintroduced into the Danish population from other parts of Europe again and again.

The remains were taken from nearly 300 individuals located at 13 different archaeological sites throughout the country, including the Lindegården excavation site at Ribe Cathedral, which dated between the 9th and 19th centuries.

Plague Persisted in Denmark for 500 Years

Nine of the plague samples provided enough genetic information to draw evolutionary conclusions about the plague’s persistence in Denmark.

The results create a picture of urban and rural populations hammered by relentless waves of plague.

The earliest known appearance of Y. pestis in Denmark was in the town of Ribe dating back to 1333 during the Black Death.

The findings suggest that plague was spread through human-facilitated movement, either via rodents traveling with humans or via other vectors, such as lice, on them.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, provides a unique insight into the history of plague in Denmark and the wider region.

Lead author Dr. Eske Willerslev, from the University of Copenhagen, said: “Our study shows that plague was a recurrent problem in Denmark for centuries, and that it was reintroduced from other parts of Europe again and again.”

The team also found that the plague was present in Denmark for at least 500 years, with the last known outbreak occurring in the 19th century.

Implications of the Findings

The findings provide a better understanding of the plague’s history in Denmark and the wider region, and could help inform future strategies for preventing and controlling the disease.