查尔斯斯图尔特大学研究团队对越南16个考古遗址的309具遗骨进行了分析，时间跨度从1万年前至1000年前。1 研究人员在3名儿童的牙齿和骨骼中发现了明确的先天性梅毒螺旋体病迹象，距今至少3500年。1 其中两名患儿来自北越的Man Bac遗址，该遗址中大多数感染者为儿童和青少年。1
这一发现对科学界长期以来的认识提出了质疑。1 几十年来，考古遗迹中发现的先天性感染通常被视为梅毒存在的有力证据，但研究团队指出这一假设可能并不总是成立。1 研究表明，先天性传染可能源自非性病梅毒如雅司病，而非长期被认为的梅毒。1 雅司病是一种热带疾病，全球约有15万人患病，可导致永久残疾。1 不过，热带地区古代DNA的保存条件极差，这使得研究人员难以通过遗传证据来确定古代人口患的具体是哪种疾病。1 该研究已发表于《国际骨考古学杂志》2026年第36卷第2期。1
Researchers from Charles Stuart University have challenged long-held assumptions about the history of syphilis by analyzing prehistoric skeletal remains from Vietnam. Analysis of 309 skeletons from 16 archaeological sites spanning the past 10,000 years revealed that three children showed clear signs of congenital treponematosis infection dating back at least 3,500 years.1 Two of these infected children were discovered at the Man Bac site in northern Vietnam, where most infected individuals in the skeletal record were children and adolescents.1
The significance of this discovery lies in what it suggests about disease transmission in ancient populations. According to Dr. Melandri Vlok, a researcher involved in the study, "For decades, congenital infections found in archaeological remains have been viewed as strong evidence of syphilis. However, our research suggests this assumption may not always hold true."1 The findings indicate that congenital transmission may have originated from non-venereal treponematoses such as yaws rather than syphilis itself, fundamentally reshaping how scientists understand the spread patterns of these ancient diseases.1
The research highlights a critical challenge in paleopathology: tropical environments preserve ancient DNA poorly, making it difficult to determine through genetic evidence which specific disease affected ancient populations.1 Yaws, a tropical disease affecting approximately 150,000 people globally today, can result in permanent disability.1 The study was published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Volume 36, Issue 2, 2026, with DOI: 10.1002/oa.70096.1
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