Scholars analyzed skeletal remains of children who inhabited the area of modern-day Vietnam approximately 4,000 to 3,200 years ago, uncovering evidence of congenital treponematosis—a non-venereal variant of syphilis. This study’s findings have been featured in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.
The research encompassed the remains of 309 individuals sourced from 16 archaeological sites across Vietnam, with data spanning from 10,000 to 1,000 years ago. Definitive indicators of inherited treponematosis—specifically, telltale dental anomalies and osseous lesions—were identified in only three young children. The remains of two of these children were recovered from the Man Bac site in northern Vietnam, a location previously known from earlier studies to have experienced high historical rates of this affliction.
Considering the epidemic profile—where 8 children and adolescents among a population of 70 were found to be affected—the condition is most likely yaws. This is a tropical disease that currently infects over 150,000 people annually. It is transmitted through direct skin contact rather than sexually. Melanie Volkov, the lead author of the study and a bioarchaeologist from Charles Sturt University, commented, “The epidemiological pattern at this site strongly suggests a non-venereal form of treponematosis. Nevertheless, we are still finding proof of congenital transmission. That is what is remarkable.”
Revisiting the Evidence Base
For decades, researchers studying ancient skeletons used instances of congenital syphilis as leverage in the debate over whether the disease existed outside of the Americas before Christopher Columbus’s voyages. The new findings demonstrate that the mere presence of a congenital infection does not allow for a reliable distinction between venereal syphilis and other treponematoses. Volkov explains, “For decades, congenital infection found in archaeological remains was often taken as compelling proof of venereal syphilis. Our research indicates this assumption isn’t always correct. Other treponematoses could also have been passed from mother to infant.”
The Verdict Isn’t In Yet
To date, there is no conclusive genetic proof confirming the presence of venereal syphilis in either the Americas or Eurasia during the pre-Columbian era. While ancient treponemes have been discovered in the Americas, they are genetically closer to the common ancestor of all subspecies rather than to modern venereal syphilis. Volkov concluded, “The history of treponematoses is far more intricate than previously thought. By gaining a deeper understanding of it, we can reconstruct the impact of infectious diseases on human evolution. This is particularly relevant now, given the resurgence of treponematoses like yaws amid the climate crisis.”
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