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For the first time, researchers have uncovered evidence of the bacterium behind the Plague of Justinian – the world’s first recorded pandemic.

Florida Atlantic scientists collaborated in recovering and sequencing DNA from eight individual teeth found in a mass grave in an ancient city in Jordan, near the pandemic’s epicenter where it was historically first recorded.

This confirms the bacterium was present in the Byzantine Empire, nearly 1,500 years ago.

In a companion study, researchers also showed that later pandemics, like the Black Death of the 14th century, arose independently from animal reservoirs rather than descending from a single ancestral source. This pattern stands in stark contrast to more recent pandemics, such as COVID-19 pandemic, which typically begin from a single spillover event (when a virus infects a new species, like monkey to human) followed by widespread human transmission.

“This research was both scientifically compelling and personally resonant. It offered an extraordinary opportunity to delve into the study of human history through the lens of ancient DNA at a time when we ourselves were living through a global pandemic,” said Greg O’Corry-Crowe, co-author and a research professor at FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and a National Geographic Explorer. “Equally profound was the experience of working with ancient human remains – individuals who lived, suffered and died centuries ago – and using modern science to help recover and share their stories. It’s a humbling reminder of our shared humanity across time and a moving testament to the power of science to give voice to those long silent.”

Read the press release.