Oldest known plague victims found in a 5,500-year-old burial ground in Siberia — and many of them were children

livescience - The oldest known evidence of the plague killing people has been found in Siberia, and it carried a gene that may have made it particularly deadly for children.

AI Summary: Archaeologists uncovered a 5,500‑year‑old burial site in Siberia containing victims of plague, many of them children, pushing the timeline of Yersinia pestis infections far earlier than previously thought. The discovery provides new clues about ancient disease spread and human vulnerability — and disproves the notion that pandemics are exclusively a modern pastime.