Overview
- An international team published findings in early September 2026 showing they recovered sheeppox virus DNA from medieval parchments and Bronze Age sheep remains and used those sequences to trace roughly 3,500–3,700 years of viral history.
- Researchers identified 41 related capripoxvirus genomes from manuscripts and archaeological samples, then dated major capripox lineage splits to between about 11,500 and 3,700 years ago, a window that matches sheep domestication and their movement into Europe.
- The group used non‑destructive eraser rubbings to sample parchment, sequenced host and viral DNA, and found the sheeppox genome to be relatively stable over recent millennia, implying key host‑specific changes occurred much earlier.
- The study reported sheeppox DNA on calfskin and goatskin pages, a result the authors say could reflect rare cross‑species infection or contamination introduced during parchment production and handling, a question that requires targeted follow‑up work.
- Beyond shedding light on past livestock disease, the work suggests that libraries and archives worldwide may preserve pathogen records that could help modern surveillance and improve understanding of how outbreaks have affected farming communities over time.