[Aztlan] THE ORIGINS OF SYPHILIS

[michael ruggeri]

Listeros,

Regarding our discussion on the origins of syphilis;

Archaeology Magazine published an article recently on the origins of  
syphilis. ,Paleo-Pathologists Bruce and Christine Rothschild examined  
667 skeletons from the US and Ecuador ranging from 400 to 6000 years  
ago. Populations to the South, (New Mexico, Florida and Ecuador) had  
syphilis. Populations to the North (Ohio, Illinois and Virginia) had  
a related disease yaws, but no syphilis, suggesting syphilis began in  
the New World and was brought to the Old World. Yaws went back 6000  
years in origin and is world wide but syphilis only shows up 1600 to  
800 years ago in the skeletons the Rothschilds studied. Thus syphilis  
may be a New World mutation of yaws. The same mutation appearing in  
the New and Old World simultaneously is not likely. There are no  
proven cases of syphilis in the Old World pre-dating this and one  
claim from southern France is considered to be based on faulty evidence.

The Rothschilds are now looking at skeletons from the Bahamas nearer  
Columbus's landfall.

Here is the article;
http://www.archaeology.org/9701/newsbriefs/syphilis.html

Mike Ruggeri