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Ancient parchment is doubling as a disease archive. Scientists discovered sheeppox virus DNA preserved in medieval manuscripts — including the 1,000-year-old York Gospels — revealing that the pathogen has barely changed genetically over millennia. Combined with Bronze Age sheep teeth, the findings trace the virus's history back more than 3,700 years, offering new clues for fighting outbreaks happening today.
Ancient books are hiding viral secrets. Researchers led by University College Dublin have uncovered sheeppox virus (SPPV) DNA preserved in the animal-skin parchment of medieval manuscripts, including the iconic York Gospels. Published in Science Advances, the study reconstructs over 3,500 years of SPPV evolution — turning centuries-old cultural artifacts into unexpected biological archives. The virus's genetic material survived because manuscripts were made from animal hides, which can retain traces of infections present at the time of slaughter.
To push the timeline even further back, the team also analyzed DNA from Bronze Age sheep teeth recovered from Eurasian steppe settlements, identifying the oldest known genetic evidence of sheeppox and confirming the disease has plagued livestock for at least 3,700 years. Their analysis suggests the capripoxvirus family (sheeppox, goatpox, and lumpy skin disease) diverged between 11,500 and 3,700 years ago — coinciding with livestock domestication and early human migration.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Libraries and archives worldwide may hold untapped genetic records of historical animal disease outbreaks. This research opens a novel avenue for tracking pathogen evolution and could help scientists better understand — and combat — livestock diseases that still cause significant economic harm today.
