New research says ancient mummy DNA provides the firmest evidence yet that European colonization brought smallpox to the Americas. The deadly disease struck Asia and Europe and eventually spread to the Americas, where it killed millions and devastated Indigenous populations. Until now, evidence of these outbreaks came from historical documents. In a new study, researchers found evidence of smallpox infection from two mummified individuals in Chile, dating them to between 1492 and 1631. They were between 18 and 35 years old. The research shines a light on the human cost of the disease. The findings were published Thursday in Science.