Vwegba Blogging World

11944–1945, during works for the construction of the new Athens Metro in the historical area of the ancient cemetery of Athens, Keramikos, the archaeological excavation brought to light a common grave, which dates back to the time of the notorious Plague of Athens (430–426 B.C.) that killed Pericles and decimated the Athenians. The grave contained skeletal remains of ca.  550 people, both children and adults, and among them the skull of an eleven year-old girl, which retained both deciduous and permanent teeth, a characteristic typical for her age. The child – who was given the ancient name Myrtis – died of typhoid fever during the plague of Athens. Typhoid fever is even today – after 2500 years – the cause of death for 500,000–700,000 people every year. Moreover, each year nearly nine million children under five are losing their lives from typhoid fever and other diseases that can be prevented and treated. For this reason, the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) “as...