The study in question was published in the journal Nature Genetics. It analyzed DNA from the remains of 101 people who lived in Europe between 5,700 and 5,200 years ago. The researchers found that a gene variant associated with resistance to plague was present in 38% of the individuals. They concluded that this suggests that plague was present in Europe at the time and may have been responsible for the decline of Neolithic farming communities.
However, there are several problems with this interpretation. First, the gene variant that the researchers identified is not specific to plague. It can also confer resistance to other diseases, such as tularemia and yersiniosis. Therefore, it is possible that the gene variant was present in the Neolithic population due to exposure to these other diseases, not plague.
Second, there is no archaeological evidence to support the claim that plague was present in Europe during the Neolithic period. There have been no reports of plague pits or other evidence of mass mortality that would be expected if a plague pandemic had occurred.
Therefore, the claim that plague decimated Neolithic farmers 5,200 years ago is not supported by the evidence. Further research is needed to determine the cause of the decline of Neolithic farming communities.
