Manuscripts and art support archaeological evidence that syphilis was in Europe long before explorers could have brought it home from the Americas

The idea that Europeans brought new diseases to the Americas and returned home with others has been widely accepted. But evidence is mounting that for syphilis this scenario is wrong.

By: Marylynn Salmon, Smith College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 29, 2026

Words: 1,183

Last Updated: 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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By Marylynn Salmon, Smith College

That the arrival of Europeans in the New World in 1492 led to a massive shift in the ecological landscape has been widely accepted for the past 50 years. Suddenly a trans-Atlantic exchange – maize for wheat, tomatoes for apples, tobacco for horses – meant that plants and animals were moving between continents for the first time.

It was the same for pathogens, according to historian Alfred W. Crosby and …

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