The ancient evolution of human pathogens

Infectious diseases have profoundly shaped human culture, behaviour and ecology. Advances in ancient pathogen genomics are now revealing not just the presence of past pathogens and disease outbreaks, but also co-infections and diverse pathogen lineages–some extinct–with different geographical distributions than their modern relatives. Here we review recent contributions archaeogenomics has made to understanding the human infectious disease landscape. Ancient DNA is unearthing the hidden narratives of culturally consequential infectious agents, and future research promises to provide even greater insights, as we take advantage of the palaeoproteome and ancient RNA. Archaeoscience is proving to be a powerful tool for revealing the biological and social dimensions of infectious disease as we prepare for future pandemic threats.