DNA reveals what caused London's Great Plague

An interesting article has been written stating that DNA analysis of skeletons found in an ancient burial ground in central London has identified presence of the bacteria responsible for the Great Plague of London.

From the article:

In 1665, the Great Plague of London killed more than 75,000 people in the space of a year, almost a quarter of the city's population back then. It caused 8,000 deaths per week during its peak in September 1665.

It was believed by many scientists and archaeologists that this Plague was in fact the Bubonic Plague but no proof existed. Skeletons dating from the 17th century were found More than 3,300 skeletons were discovered in 2015 at the site known as the Bedlam burial ground, near Liverpool Street station in London, within the New Churchyard archaeological site. You can read my earlier article about this find at Digging up Bodies of Those Buried in Bedlam

When their DNA was extracted and sequenced, the proof was evident. The Great Plague was in fact the Bubonic Plague. One of the individuals i wrote about in my New Netherland series of books was devastated when the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) hit his family in 1636. See New Netherland Settlers: The Stevensen and Jacobsen Families.

Also see my article Possible Black Death Graves from 14th Century Found in London England

DNA is a marvelous tool for solving many  puzzles. If you have not yet had your DNA tested, you really should! I've had my DNA tested at several different companies and have learned a great many interesting things. You can read about my discoveries and explanations of DNA testing at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.ca/search/label/DNA

I recommend this Free Shipping with DNA Kit Purchase at Ancestry.com!

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