Pustules, Palaeogenetics and Pandemics from Galen to Rhazes: How to do the Early History of Smallpox and Measles

The emerging discipline of palaeogenetics has re-invigorated study of diseases in the past. But new scientific techniques need to be pursued in dialogue with textual evidence and other archaeological material for a full picture. Conversations between scientists, historians and archaeologists have begun, but new methodologies and scholarly conventions have to be established as a matter of urgency. Rich understandings of pathological histories are crucial to comprehending past societies themselves and to current scientific research into human health and illness. How specific diseases have changed, in their wider contexts, is a critical historical concern indicative of present and future possibilities. This innovative project pursues all these key objectives through investigating the history of smallpox, measles and similar infectious diseases from Galen to Rhazes. These two prolific authors stand at crucial epidemiological and intellectual junctures in a continuous, multi-lingual medical tradition, and we will use—for the first time—the full array of textual resources they provide for the study of these diseases, in their various manifestations. We will explore how the scattered palaeogenetic data fits with this complex picture, bring people together to develop more robust interdisciplinary methodologies in this area, and offer valuable insights for meeting current health challenges.