Old Plague in Siberia

西伯利亞的古老瘟疫

Jun 17, 2026, 19:53
AsiaScience

Introduction

Scientists found a very old and deadly sickness in Siberia. It happened 5,500 years ago.

科學家在西伯利亞發現了一種非常古老且致命的疾病，發生於 5,500 年前。

Main Body

Scientists looked at old teeth from four cemeteries. They found the plague germ in many people. This sickness killed many people in small families.

科學家研究了四個墳場的古齒，發現許多人都染有鼠疫菌。這種疾病殺死了許多小家庭中的成員。

The sickness was different from the plague today. It did not come from fleas. Instead, it moved from person to person through the air. Many children between 8 and 11 years old died.

這種疾病與今日的鼠疫不同，並非由跳蚤傳播，而是透過空氣在人與人之間傳染。許多 8 到 11 歲的兒童因此死亡。

The people got the sickness from wild animals called marmots. They probably touched the animals or ate them. These people did not farm. They moved and hunted for food.

人們是從一種稱為旱地鼠的野生動物身上染病的，可能是因為接觸或食用了這些動物。這些人並不從事農耕，而是遷徙並狩獵食物。

Conclusion

This study shows that the plague killed small groups of hunters a long time ago.

這項研究顯示，鼠疫在很久以前殺死了小型狩獵族群。

Vocabulary Learning

🕰️ Talking about the Past

In this story, we see how to describe things that finished a long time ago. We use a special form of the action word (verb) to do this.

The Rule: Most of the time, just add -ed to the end of the word.

  • Look →\rightarrow Looked*
  • Happen →\rightarrow Happened*
  • Move →\rightarrow Moved*

The 'Rule Breakers' (Irregular): Some words change completely. You must memorize these!

  • Find →\rightarrow Found*
  • Kill →\rightarrow Killed* (Regular)
  • Get →\rightarrow Got*
  • Do →\rightarrow Did*

Quick Guide:

  • Now: They move for food.
  • Then: They moved for food.

💡 Vocabulary Tip: People & Groups

  • Cemetery: A place where dead people are buried.
  • Hunters: People who find and kill wild animals for food.

Vocabulary Learning

deadly (adj.)
Something that can kill you.
Example:The snake has a deadly poison.
sickness (n.)
The state of being ill or a disease.
Example:He stayed home because of a sudden sickness.
cemeteries (n.)
Places where dead people are buried.
Example:The old cemeteries are very quiet.
germ (n.)
A very small living thing that causes disease.
Example:Wash your hands to remove the germs.
fleas (n.)
Small jumping insects that bite animals and people.
Example:The cat has fleas and needs a bath.
marmots (n.)
Large animals that look like ground squirrels.
Example:Marmots live in the mountains.
hunted (v.)
Chased and killed animals for food.
Example:Ancient people hunted deer for meat.
Practice A2 words in a crossword→