DNA Evidence Confirms Black Death Presence in Medieval Edinburgh: Tracing the Plague in a 14th-Century Teenager

Edinburgh has yielded its first direct scientific evidence confirming the historical presence of the bubonic plague, notoriously known as the Black Death. Researchers successfully isolated traces of the *Yersinia pestis* bacterium from the dental calculus of a young person who perished during the 14th century. This finding establishes a tangible link between a specific resident of the Scottish capital and the catastrophic pandemic that devastated Europe.

The skeletal remains were recovered in 1981 during archaeological work at St Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile. During that excavation, 115 skeletons were unearthed while clearing space for new interior steps. The bones were subsequently placed in the city archives, where they lay undisturbed for nearly 45 years before modern scientific analysis commenced.

A multidisciplinary team performed ancient DNA sequencing, isotope analysis, and radiocarbon dating. The data placed the individual's life between 1300 and 1370, coinciding with the peak of the Black Death pandemic. John Lawson, Curator of Archaeology for Edinburgh City Council, called the finding "excitingly important," noting the teenager received a careful, individual burial—a detail atypical for victims often interred in communal pits during major outbreaks.

Molecular methods were essential for this identification, as the bubonic plague leaves no discernible marks on skeletal material. Genetic analysis by experts at the Francis Crick Institute in London successfully identified the DNA signature of *Yersinia pestis*. Lawson highlighted the significance: "We knew the Black Death happened, but now we can link a specific person to it."

The Black Death pandemic, which swept through Europe between 1347 and 1353, claimed approximately 50 million lives. The primary form was bubonic plague, characterized by swollen lymph nodes and the tissue blackening that gave the disease its ominous name. This discovery offers scholars a unique chance to investigate how the epidemic specifically impacted medieval Edinburgh.

The analysis of these remains is part of the ongoing Edinburgh 900 project, commemorating the city’s 900th anniversary. St Giles’ Cathedral, founded around 1124, is also marking a significant milestone. This research integrates into a broader initiative involving academics from the Universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee, focused on generating facial reconstructions of citizens spanning the 12th through the 16th centuries.

Under Dr. Maria MacLennan of the Edinburgh College of Art, several other historical figures have had their likenesses restored, including a 12th-century man, a woman from the Lady Chapel (15th–16th centuries), and two 15th-century pilgrims. These reconstructions are featured in the exhibition, “Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens,” running at the cathedral until the close of November.

Margaret Graham, the City Council’s Head of Culture and Communities, underscored the profound historical value of identifying the plague victim. She stressed that this research significantly enhances the understanding of Edinburgh’s deep past. Graham concluded that every subsequent study helps researchers piece together the identities and life stories of the city’s earliest inhabitants, restoring humanity and memory to bygone ages.