Mummies and molecules: Molecular biology meets paleopathology

Abstract

Paleopathology, the study of disease in antiquity, has traditionally relied on artistic representations, ancient texts, and the gross and microscopic analysis of human remains to provide information about ancient disease. These sources, however, can be vague and difficult to interpret. In the last decade, paleopathologists have begun to incorporate modern laboratory methods into their research with intriguing results. DNA analysis and immunochemical techniques have enabled definitive diagnosis and prevalent studies of infectious diseases in both mummified and skeletal remains, some as much as 4,000 years old. Tuberculosis, schistosomiasis, leprosy, malaria, and Chagas' disease have all been the subject of successful studies. This research has contributed to our knowledge of the natural history of disease and has opened the door to such potential new fields as paleogenetics, paleovirology, and paleoepidemiology. The use of laboratory techniques in paleopathology allows researchers to test their traditional methods and provides access to health information previously available only for living populations. Though limited somewhat by problems of contamination and molecular degradation, the results of research conducted thus far suggest a bright future for modern laboratory methods and the study of ancient health and disease.