Tuberculosis (TB), the disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has afflicted mankind for millennia. Currently, the diagnosis of TB from archaeological specimens relies on the identification of bone changes. This method is problematic, since the bone changes seen in TB are not exclusive to the disease. Here, we examine the state-of-the-art of ancient TB diagnosis using the biomarker approach. The development of biomarkers for the detection of ancient TB will provide a reliable means of diagnosis and provide archaeology with a useful tool for the investigation of the disease in archaeological populations.
