Columbus Did NOT Bring Syphilis to Europe:
Disease is Found in the Remains of a Child who Died 170 Years Before the Voyage to America
- Origin of the infection is one of the most controversial issues of disease
- Three theories exist: Columbus brought it from America, African slaves brought it to Spain, or it was always present in both Old and New Worlds
- Now, evidence of the disease have been found on a skeleton from 1320AD
- Experts in Austria believe this 'clearly refutes' the Columbus theory
Daily Mail UK, 23 November 2015
In 1495, syphilis spread throughout Europe and many blame Christopher Columbus for bringing the sexually transmitted infection back from his ship's voyage to the New World.
However, there is mounting evidence to suggest the potentially deadly disease was already present in the Old World before Columbus even set off for America.
Signs of the disease have previously been spotted in a Roman skeleton from Croatia and now Austrian researchers believe they have found 'several cases' of congenital syphilis dating back as far as 1320 AD.
Austrian researchers believe they have found 'several cases' of congenital syphilis dating back as early as 1320 AD in a skeleton called STP 7315/3045 (pictured). Evidence in this skeleton's teeth suggests Columbus didn't bring the sexually transmitted infection back from his voyage to the New World, as scholars believe
The disease is caused by the bacteria treponema pallidum.
Symptoms range from a sore throat and rash, to problems with the heart, blood vessels and brain which can trigger stroke, heart disease, dementia, paralysis and can even cause death.
Congenital syphilis, which is passed from a pregnant mother to her unborn child, was primarily identified by changes to the teeth of skeletons from the 14th century.
Ever since the first case was recorded in Europe in 1495 - three years after Columbus's first voyage to the New World - experts have argued over its origins.
Three core theories exist that attempt to explain where it first emerged and its rapid spread through Europe at the end of the 15th century.
The first, called the Columbian theory, assumes syphilis was introduced to Europe in 1493 by a ship arriving from the Caribbean islands.
Congenital syphilis, which is passed from a pregnant mother to her unborn child, was primarily identified by changes to the teeth of skeletons from the 14th century. While studying the Austrian skeleton, the experts found so-called Hutchinson's teeth with central notches, converging edges and mulberry molars
In mulberry molars (pictured), the enamel cusps are deformed and become rounded, while Hutchinson's teeth are typically identified by small notches in the incisors. Both are signs of congenital syphilis
The second suggests the disease was first present in Africa, and was brought to Europe by slaves arriving in Spain and Portugal.
The third theory assumes syphilis was present in both the Old and New worlds and that four different syndromes developed.
Despite this abundance of theories, the definitive origin of the disease remains an enigma.
To put these theories to the test, researchers from the Department of Forensic Medicine and the Centre for Anatomy and Cell Biology at MedUni Vienna studied skeletons found during excavations at the cathedral square of St Pölten, Austria.
Experts have long debated the origin of syphilis. A popular theory is that the disease originated in the New World, the Americas, and was transported to Europe by the explorer Christopher Columbus (illustrated)
However, there is mounting evidence to suggest the disease was already present in the Old World before Columbus even set off for America, so the famous explorer may not have brought it back aboard the Santa Maria (illustrated) and other ships of the time
A total of 9,000 skeletons, dating back as far as the 9th century, have been recovered in the cathedral square so far.
In one skeleton, dubbed STP 7315/3045, the experts found so-called Hutchinson's teeth with central notches, converging edges and mulberry molars in one skeleton.
In mulberry molars, the enamel cusps are deformed and become rounded, while Hutchinson's teeth are typically identified by small notches in the incisors. Both are signs of congenital syphilis.
The individual studied by the Austrian researchers is thought to have been between six to eight years old at the time of death, in around 1390 to 1440.
Skeleton STP 7315/3045 was found during excavations at the cathedral square of St Pölten, Austria. The city, around 40 miles (64km) west of Vienna is shown on the map above
The study said: 'Many teeth exhibit lesions suggestive of or consistent with congenital syphilis.'
It was published in the Journal of Biological and Clinical Anthropology.
Study leaders Karl Großschmidt and Fabian Kanz took thin bone sections from the bones and teeth of the skeletons for analysis
This fang-like canine shows signs of the disease in the form of small notches at its base
They used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the bones and a special light microscopy technique to detect the disease.
This revealed the skeleton dates back to between 1320 and 1390 AD.
They will now use molecular and biological tests to confirm their finding of what they say is the earliest evidence of syphilis.
Last year, researchers from the University of Split in Croatia similarly found evidence to rule out the 'Columbian theory'.
They examined the remains of people unearthed from the Dalmatian area of Croatia, ranging from different historical periods, citing evidence of syphilis on the bones of a man, aged 20 to 29, who was excavated from a grave dating from the Roman era.
However, Rob Knell, a reader in evolutionary ecology at Queen Mary's University in London said one skeleton 'showing apparent syphilitic changes does not constitute much in the way of a weight of evidence' to disprove the Columbian theory.
He told MailOnline: 'Firstly, it is only a single skeleton - this means that it is very hard to draw much in the way of conclusions from it, because apparent syphilitic changes in a single skeleton could be the consequence of chance deformities that were not a consequence of the disease.
'With only a single skeleton it is very hard to conclude much about the potential causes of the changes observed.
'Secondly, we know that there were other treponenmal diseases in Europe or Africa before Columbus, such as Yaws, and these can cause skeletal changes as well.
'Without a decent sized sample, my understanding is that it is hard to distinguish syphilitic changes in bones from changes caused by other treponema diseases.'
He said this discovery is the latest in a series of pre-Columbian skeletons with 'apparent syphilitic changes', with a similar study emerging 'every few years'.
'These are always isolated skeletons with questionable pathology,' he told MailOnline.
'And they always seem to get forgotten about pretty quickly.'
Dr Bruce Rothschild, a professor of medicine at the University of Kansas and expert in the origins of diseases like syphilis, echoed Dr Knell's doubts.
Professor Rothschild told MailOnline:
'Syphilis is clearly a New World 'product'.
'Despite many efforts to suggest otherwise, there is no Old World evidence of syphilis prior to 1492.
'The disease derives from Yaws in North America between 2000 and 1800 years ago, on the Colorado Plateau above the Mogollon Ridge.
'The suggestions of pre-Columbian syphilis in Europe are based on inadequate understanding of terminology.'
The previous study was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine and involved Croatian scientists analysing a random sample of 403 skeletons, from a collection of 3,000.
Last year, researchers from the University of Split in Croatia similarly found evidence to rule out the 'Columbian theory'. They claimed to have unearthed a skeleton of a man showing signs of syphilis (a bent bone is pictured) dating from a Roman grave
Of those, 135 came from five excavation sites archaeologically dated to the Iron Age.
An antique sample of 134 skeletons was taken from more than 1,000 graves excavated from Solin-Smiljanovac or Salona, a Roman colony.
The remaining 134 samples dated from the medieval and new age eras, and were taken from two excavation sites dating from 14th to 19th centuries.
The oldest skeletons, from the prehistory and antique eras, were used as a control group.
Prior to this study, only one case of venereal syphilis was found on a female skeleton from the 15th to 17th century.
Quote:
SYPHILIS: A FATAL SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE
The disease is a bacterial infection, often caught by having sex with an infected person, and is caused by bacteria called treponema pallidum.
They can enter the body through close contact with an infected sore, normally during vaginal, anal or oral sex.
The disease can also be caught by sharing sex toys with someone who is infected.
Pregnant women can pass the disease to their unborn child, which can cause stillbirth or death shortly after labour.
Spyhilis is caused by bacteria called treponema pallidum, which can enter the body through close contact with an infected sore, normally during vaginal, anal and oral sex
In some cases the disease is passed through injecting drugs with infected needles.
Symptoms of syphilis develop in three stages.
It begins with a painless but highly infectious sore on the genitals, or around the mouth.
If another person comes into contact with the sore, which lasts from two to six weeks, they can become infected.
Secondary symptoms of the disease include a skin rash and sore throat, which typically last for a few weeks.
Once they disappear a sufferer will experience a phase with no symptoms, which can last for years.
The next stage, the most dangerous, follows.
The symptoms of the final stage vary depending on which part of the body the infection spreads to.
It can affect the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, bones, skin or blood vessels, causing a range of illnesses including stroke, dementia, paralysis, blindess, deafness, heart disease and death.
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PhOtOs-Columbus Did NOT Bring Syphilis to Europe
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