5 December, 2017 - 18:55 Caleb Strom
Viruses Sleeping in Mummies—Could Ancient Corpses Lead to Modern Epidemics?
Mummies fascinate historians, archaeologists, and anyone with antiquarian leanings. Mummies allow scientists to learn more about the diets, clothing, appearance, genetics, and general lifestyle of ancient populations than would be otherwise possible. The process of mummification, however, may preserve more than just the flesh and clothing of ancient pharaohs and desert nomads. Forensic scientists have discovered that ancient viruses and possibly other potential pathogens can remain dormant within the bodies of mummies. This leads to the question of whether investigation of mummies could accidentally bring back long dead diseases like smallpox. Studies of pathology in mummies show that this is a plausible scenario, especially for mummies from cold climates.
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/viruses-sleeping-mummies-could-ancient-corpses-lead-modern-epidemics-009234
