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flag DNA from 200+ victims in Jordan confirms the Justinian plague as a rapid, widespread pandemic.

flag A mass grave in Jerash, Jordan, has provided definitive evidence of the Justinian plague, the world’s first recorded pandemic, by revealing DNA from over 200 individuals buried in a single event. flag Researchers from US and Australian universities confirmed the site as a rapid burial ground linked to a sudden surge in deaths, showing victims of all ages and genders, likely a mobile population trapped by the outbreak. flag The findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, combine genetic analysis with archaeological context to illustrate the pandemic’s human and social impact, countering past skepticism and highlighting pandemics as both biological and societal crises.

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