Kristina Killgrove is an archaeologist with specialties in ancient human skeletons and science communication. Her academic research has appeared in numerous scientific journals, while her news stories and essays have been published in venues such as Forbes, Mental Floss and Smithsonian.
A 16th-century cemetery in Peru holds the remains of two toddlers whose skeletons still show the devastating impact of smallpox in the early-colonial period. The rare find may hold key information about the earliest infectious diseases related to European colonization, according to a new study.
Smallpox, which is caused by the variola virus, was a well-known cause of death in the contact-era Americas. It likely arrived in northwest Peru with Francisco Pizarro and his soldiers in the late 1530s, resulting in the loss of about 70% of the native Inca population by 1620, according to the study.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.These are the earliest cases of osteomyelitis variolosa identified in South America, which is surprising given the numerous smallpox outbreaks that occurred after European contact.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
2024 Indy 500 Blog: Josef Newgarden wins the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500Heavy rain Sunday morning caused a delay in the start of the 108th Running of the Indy 500.
Read more »
Dow slides 500 points, S&P 500 retreats from record while Nasdaq hits new heightsSamantha Subin is a digital news associate with CNBC.
Read more »
IndyCar moves to Fox Sports in 2025 after 16 seasons with NBCFox now has Daytona 500 and Indy 500
Read more »
2024 Indy 500 Picks, Predictions, and Race PreviewIndy 500 picks, predictions for 2024 Indianapolis 500. Indy 500 best bets for May 26 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Read more »
2024 Indy 500 Picks, Predictions, and Race PreviewIndy 500 picks, predictions for 2024 Indianapolis 500. Indy 500 best bets for May 26 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Read more »
These are the S&P 500 historical returns during election yearsThese are the S&P 500 historical returns during election years
Read more »