Biomolecular archaeology of ancient tuberculosis in Britain and Europe
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Life Sciences
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is a reemerging infection that was also common in the past in Britain. Poverty, drug resistance, the HIV, and migration are key factors in its occurrence today. The disease can be caused by any one of five related bacteria known as the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. In Britain the two most likely candidates are Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis. M. bovis can infect many different animals, including cows, and humans were often infected by drinking milk, which is why it is pasteurised in Britain. Today, most TB infections occur in the lungs, because it is transmitted via coughing, but other parts of the body can also be infected, especially if the disease is caught by eating or drinking infected foods. If left untreated the infection can cause damage to different bones in the body, most commonly the spine, ribs, hips and knees. Archaeologists have used this information to study TB in the past, but visual examination of skeletons does not reveal which bacterium has caused the infection, nor which strain of either species is present. We would like to be able identify species and strains because this would enable us to trace the origin of TB in Britain. We think TB came to Britain from the Mediterranean region but to confirm this idea we would have to compare the particular strain present in early British skeletons with that in bones from southern Europe. Similarly, we believe that there were changes in the frequencies of different strains of Mycobacterium over time, and these changes were possibly influenced by factors such as immigration, changes in population density, and changes in the environment. There are also interesting questions about the evolution of TB in the New World after contact with Europeans. All of these questions could be addressed if we could identify the particular strains of Mycobacterium in skeletons from different places and different time periods. Until recently, this was impossible, but now there are techniques for studying the small amounts of 'ancient' DNA that are preserved in some archaeological skeletons. We will therefore extract ancient DNA from a variety of skeletons that show the bone changes associated with TB, and use DNA sequencing to determine which Mycobacterium strain is present in each case. The proposed project will carry out this work with skeletons from Britain and Europe. Our Project Partners in Arizona State University are doing similar work with bones from North America, and by comparing our two sets of results we will be able to study the impact that Contact had on TB in the New World.
Organisations
Publications
Müller R
(2014)
Biomolecular identification of ancient Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA in human remains from Britain and continental Europe.
in American journal of physical anthropology
Müller R
(2015)
Complications in the study of ancient tuberculosis: non-specificity of IS6110 PCRs
in STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research
Müller R
(2016)
Complications in the study of ancient tuberculosis: Presence of environmental bacteria in human archaeological remains
in Journal of Archaeological Science
Müller R
(2014)
Genotyping of ancient Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains reveals historic genetic diversity
in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Roberts CA
(2015)
Old World tuberculosis: Evidence from human remains with a review of current research and future prospects.
in Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Title | Skeleton Science 1 |
Description | An exhibition that focused on what we can learn from the skeleton, included the study of tuberculosis; Fulling Mill Museum, Durham University, Durham |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2012 |
Impact | Feedback; school visits; led to Durham University seed corn funding for creation of school teaching resource |
URL | http://skeletonscience.weebly.com/ |
Title | Skeleton Science 2 |
Description | An exhibition that focused on what we can learn from the skeleton, included the study of tuberculosis; Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2014 |
Impact | Feedback; school visits; Teacher's resource pack created and taken up by schools visiting; wesbite created |
URL | http://skeletonscience.weebly.com/ |
Title | Skeleton Science 3 |
Description | An exhibition that focused on what we can learn from the skeleton, included the study of tuberculosis - Bede's World, Tyne and Wear |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2015 |
Impact | Feedback |
URL | http://skeletonscience.weebly.com/ |
Title | Skeleton Science 4 |
Description | An exhibition that focused on what we can learn from the skeleton, included the study of tuberculosis - Bedale Museum, North Yorkshire; weekend in June |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Impact | Feedback |
URL | http://skeletonscience.weebly.com/ |
Description | Tuberculosis is a reemerging infection that was also common in the past in Britain. Poverty, drug resistance, AIDS and migration are key factors in its occurrence today. The disease can be caused by any one of five related bacteria known as the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. In Britain the two most likely candidates are Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis. M. bovis can infect many different animals, including cows, and humans were often infected by drinking milk, which is why it is pasteurised in Britain. Today, most tuberculosis infections occur in the lungs, because it is transmitted via coughing and sneezing, but other parts of the body can also be infected, such as the gastrointestinal tract if the disease is caught by eating or drinking infected foods. If left untreated the infection can cause damage to different bones in the body, most commonly the spine, ribs, hips and knees. Bioarchaeologists have used this information to study tuberculosis in the past, but visual examination of skeletons does not reveal which bacterium has caused the infection, nor which strain of either species is present. We would like to be able identify species and strains because this would enable us to trace the origin of tuberculosis in Britain. We think tuberculosis came to Britain from the Mediterranean region but to confirm this idea we would have to compare the particular strain present in early British skeletons with that in bones from southern Europe. Similarly, we believe that there were changes in the frequencies of different strains of Mycobacterium over time, and these changes were possibly influenced by factors such as immigration, changes in population density, and changes in the environment. There are also interesting questions about the evolution of tuberculosis in the New World after contact with Europeans. All of these questions could be addressed if we could identify the particular strains of Mycobacterium in skeletons from different places and different time periods. Until recently, this was impossible, but now there are techniques for studying the small amounts of 'ancient' DNA that are preserved in some archaeological skeletons. We used these techniques in this project, with 361 archaeological skeletons that we collected from all over Europe, all showing signs of tuberculosis, and dating from the Roman period to the 19th century AD. About half of the skeletons did not appear to contain any ancient DNA, and in many of the others the DNA was so poorly preserved that it was very difficult to study. However we obtained positive results with a few samples and these have enabled us to learn more about tuberculosis in the past. For example, we discovered that a variety of different strains of tuberculosis have been present in Britain during the last 2000 years, and that some of these were present at the same time in different parts of the country. We even identified one unfortunate person from the 3rd century AD who was infected with two different types of tuberculosis at the same time. We also discovered an individual from 19th century Leeds who had a variety of tuberculosis very similar to the type that is common in Europe today. The bacteria that this person was infected with were not identical to the modern version, but the differences suggest that it might have been an ancestor of modern tuberculosis. This was the first time that any ancient variety of tuberculosis has been identified with such a degree of precision. We have more recently identified different TB strains in people dated to pre- and post-1400 AD in Britain, finding 2 different strains at a Roman site in Gloucestershire, different strains in different 19th C sites, and a completely different strain compared to the rest of the sites in a site near Edinburgh. We suspect the strain came form Scandinavia and we are now working on a Swedish skeleton with TB in their bones that predates the Scottish person. |
Exploitation Route | We have worked closely with museum curators, bioarchaeologists, and contract archaeologists who have provided us with access to skeletal remains identified with evidence of tuberculosis. We initially provided them all with a description of the project, including methods to be used for sampling and analysis, and the role within it of the material for which we asked them for access. We have communicated with the academic end users via conference presentations and scientific publications, and we have provided some data from the project to York Archaeological Trust for an exhibition. The main users are: bioarchaeologists, archaeologists, historians, and medical historians who have benefited from the greater understanding of tuberculosis in the past that has resulted from our study; museum curators who have benefited from the specific information that we have obtained regarding the presence of tuberculosis in populations represented by skeletal remains in their collections; biomolecular archaeologists who have benefited from the new approaches to the study of pathogen ancient DNA that we have devised. |
Sectors | Education Environment Healthcare Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
Description | To write papers, to present lectures to the public, for an exhibition and school packs The exhibition was also part of an Impact Case Study 2014 on Charlotte Roberts' research |
First Year Of Impact | 2007 |
Sector | Education,Healthcare,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | 'Death and disease: stories from our ancestors': Friends of Swaledale Museum, Reeth, N Yorkshire |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Lots of questions, including on the NERC and AHRC funded research more requests for talks |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
Description | Archaeology for the older generation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
Results and Impact | Spent 2 months in a care home working with carers and residnets. Focus was to introduce archaeology to the older generation, including the study of health and well-being through archaeological skeletons. Involved short talks, hands on sessions, visits to museums and archaeological sites, processing finds. Funded by Durham University Seedcorn funding Led to creation of a Skeleton Science: Archaeology for the older generation resource, and development of the Skeleton Science website to accommodate this part of the project |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://skeletonscience.weebly.com/ |
Description | BBC Radio 4 Material World |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | discussed the challenge of TB today in the world and briefly discussed our NERC funded project some emails from the public wanting more information |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
Description | BBC Radio 4 Today programme |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Malaria was the focus but a general interview of the challenge of infectious diseases some emails wanting further information |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
Description | British Science Festival, Newcastle |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Short presentations on 4 infectious diseases (leprosy, TB, plague, syphilis) and audience had to vote on most important in the past. I did TB strong interest in the subject came out in Q and A session |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
Description | Gresham College Free Lectures |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Public lecture generated much interest in the overall subject matter of bioarchaeology and generated a number of questions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-archaeology-of-disease-documented-in-skeletons |
Description | Harmby and Spennithorne Women's Institute |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interest generated questions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Lecture to Snape Local History Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Lecture on the study of archaeological human remains, incorporating the AHRC and NERC research. Questions pertaining to the methods used (stable isotope and aDNA analyses) request for another public lecture |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | U3A group, Leyburn |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk on the study of archaeological human remains and evidence for disease, including tuberculosis |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Wellcome Trust Noah's Ark. Living with the animals. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This was a panel discussion on relationships of diseases in animals with humans; I spoke about tuberculosis. There followed a panel discussion feedback on the event as a whole was very positive, and I 'made use of' the audience for a survey on perceptions of leprosy I was carrying out - now in a book on leprosy that is nearing publication |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
Description | Wensleydale Society |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interested public group with may questions sparked and opinions changed |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |