The Pathogenic Environment And Human Evolution: An Investigation Into The Potential Impact Of Crosscontamination Via Stone Tool Use

COVID-19 gave renewed attention to the pathogenic impact of cross-contamination. It had been thought that human concern with pathogens starts with the Holocene, linked to the emergence of agriculture, the spread of zoonotic diseases, and increased population densities (Armelagos and Harper 2005). Recent genomic work, however, reveals that many modern pathogens have a Pleistocene origin (Houldcroft and Underdown 2016). Despite the recent identification of pathogens in the historic period (Spyrou et al. 2022), prehistoric pathogenic environments remain chronically under-theorised, with little recognition except when visible as pathologies on skeletal remains (Odes et al. 2016). This project addresses this challenge by changing the focus from large-scale, 'plague-type' events to a consideration of pathogens as a potentially constant presence in daily life. In doing so, it repurposes some established theory and methods of experimental and scientific archaeology.