News

Columbus Did Not Bring Syphilis To Europe, Study

By R. Siva Kumar | Update Date: Nov 24, 2015 12:22 PM EST

Archaeologists look at new evidence to suggest that Columbus, who was famous for "discovering" America, may not have brought syphilis back to Europe after his travels and explorations, according to the Daily Mail.

Various theories on how syphilis came to Europe speculate that it had come with African slaves during the Spanish slave trade, or that it was already there, or thirdly that Columbus brought it with him when he came from the Americas.

However, scientists discover skeletons at the Medical University of Vienna that counter the Columbus theory.

The skeletons were discovered with defects in their teeth, including mulberry molars and fang-like looks that indicate congenital syphilis, although the date of the skeletons takes them back to the time when he left for Europe and in fact even before he came into the world!

"All the remains examined dated back to pre-Columbian time between AD 1320 and 1390," reports the International Business Times. "The period corresponds to earlier than the birth of Columbus who is believed to have been born between AD 1450 and 1451."

Hence, there was one thing, definitely, that Columbus was not guilty of, and that was bringing the congenital syphilis into Europe!

The research was published in the Journal of Biological and Clinical Anthropology.

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics