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View Full Version : Typhoid Fever Caused the Downfall of Athens


topcatcole
28 Jan 2006, 07:39 PM
http://www.livescience.com/history/060123_athens_fall.html

I found this pretty interesting. In part because history is ofteb taught in a way in which the real reasons for things happening are shilded by the need to recount the happenings. This gives some depth. An excerpt from this short article.

"Athens fell because a plague swept the empire. But scientists have debated what illness was responsible.
A new DNA analysis of teeth from an ancient Greek burial pit indicates typhoid fever caused the epidemic."

Pauncho
29 Jan 2006, 07:05 PM
Why would DNA analysis identify the disease germ?

Toon³
29 Jan 2006, 10:27 PM
Why would DNA analysis identify the disease germ?

Well Typhoid is a virus and since virusus are neither living or dead then presumably they would still be on or traces of them on the DNA of the teeth or bones of the victims.



Note: That could, of course, be totally wrong.