Dr. Marylynn Salmon (Smith College) Ancient Evidence for Congenital Syphilis in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece: Texts and Artworks Wednesday, September 17th at 5:00pm in Lincoln Hall 1002

For centuries, syphilis and other treponemal diseases (bejel and yaws) were understood as “New World” exports, brought to Afro-Eurasia as part of the Columbian Exchange after 1492. But recent paleopathology and aDNA studies have demonstrated the presence of these diseases in the “Old World,” too, while Dr. Salmon’s own research has helped to prove their existence in medieval Europe. In this presentation, she offers compelling evidence to demonstrate the presence of syphilis in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Much of this evidence, especially for congenital syphilis, concerns infants and children and may be distressing to viewers: discretion is advised.