British Roman skeletal remains show smallpox

[guy]

Below is an interesting article about skeletal remains in Roman Britain at Cirencester (Corinium) that show evidence of smallpox. The remains date to the third or fourth centuries AD. This finding supports the belief that the Antonine Plague was caused by smallpox (see posts below). Above are two pictures of suspected diseased calcanei (healed bones) compared to a healthy one (on the right).

🦴 Summary of the Article: "A case of osteomyelitis variolosa from Roman Britain, and the introduction of smallpox to the Roman world" (Journal of Roman Archaeology)

This article presents the earliest European case of osteomyelitis variolosa—a bone condition caused by smallpox—in a skeleton from Roman Britain, dating to the 3rd or 4th century CE. The findings indicate that smallpox had already reached the Roman world by then.

🧬 Key Findings

The male skeleton exhibited bilateral elbow deformities, foot lesions, and chronic bone infections—typical signs of osteomyelitis variolosa, a complication in smallpox survivors.

These changes likely started in childhood and continued into adulthood, helping maintain long-term infection and survival.

🏺 Historical Implications

Supports the hypothesis that the Antonine Plague (c. 165–180 CE) might have been an early instance of smallpox—a theory previously debated because of limited direct evidence.

Suggests that smallpox may have become endemic in the Roman Empire much earlier than some genetic studies suggest.

Provides a useful skeletal connection when genetic data is unavailable, enabling historians to track the disease's dissemination through physical markers.

🧠 Scientific Context

The article compares this case to both modern and medieval examples of osteomyelitis variolosa.

Provides insights into the evolution of the variola virus and discussions about its introduction to Europe.

Highlights the significance of osteological evidence when ancient DNA isn’t preserved.

 

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-roman-archaeology/article/case-of-osteomyelitis-variolosa-from-roman-britain-and-the-introduction-of-smallpox-to-the-roman-world/26817D380A47CAE1B297BB3447D3CCBF

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by guy

[guy]

Here is a summary of the article's position that the Antonine Plague was caused by smallpox:

 

🦠 Summary: The Debate Over Smallpox and the Antonine Plague

Galen's Symptoms: Ancient physician Galen described symptoms of the Antonine Plague, including a black rash, internal bleeding, diarrhea, vomiting, and fetid breath—leading some to identify the disease as smallpox since the 19th century.

Retrospective Diagnosis: In recent decades, scholars like Littman & Littman (1973) and attendees of a 2012 conference have accepted smallpox as a likely cause. Others, like Gourevitch and Elliott, have questioned this, suggesting it was a related virus from the Poxviridae family that didn’t cause scarring, a key symptom of smallpox.

Lack of Scarring: Galen didn’t mention scarring, but that doesn’t rule out its presence. Scars tend to appear later, and Galen’s focus was on the disease’s critical stages. Roman literature and art also often idealized figures, possibly avoiding the depiction of pockmarks.

Genetic Evidence: Ancient DNA studies show multiple variola virus strains (aVARV) circulating during the Middle Ages, raising doubts about how closely related ancient and modern smallpox viruses are. Some scholars even suggest dropping the term “smallpox” when talking about ancient diseases.

🧬 Virology & Evolutionary Points

Timeline of Variola Evolution:

The divergence between ancient and modern strains is estimated to have occurred between 200 BCE and 600 CE.

Human-specific variola virus likely existed during the Roman era.

Galen’s described symptoms closely match smallpox, even if the virus was genetically different.

Skeletal Evidence:

Individual SK847 from Cirencester had osteomyelitis variolosa, indicating a smallpox infection in the 3rd–4th century CE.

This supports early introduction and possibly endemic status of variola in the Roman world.

⚔️ Context & Consequences

Introduction Hypothesis: Likely brought to Rome by returning troops from the Parthian campaign in 165–166 CE.

Immunity & Endemism: Survivors acquire lifelong immunity; recurrent outbreaks may indicate initial spread before the disease becomes endemic, mainly affecting children afterward.

Literary Mentions: References to a smallpox-like disease appear later in Europe, China, and the Middle East—indicating continuity in symptoms despite strain variation.

Alternative Theory: Rejecting variola as the cause would mean accepting a completely different, now-extinct disease and an unrecorded later arrival of variola—which is possible but less likely.