Researchers have recovered the first ancient smallpox virus genomes from the Americas, providing the strongest direct evidence that European colonizers introduced the disease. The genomes, extracted from 500-year-old Inca mummies in Chile, offer molecular proof that smallpox decimated Indigenous populations after colonization. Scientists from Trinity College Dublin led the study, analyzing DNA from the mummies to sequence the virus. The findings confirm that smallpox was not present in the Americas before European arrival, settling a long-standing historical debate. The research represents the first time ancient smallpox genomes have been identified in the Americas, giving clear evidence of the pathogen's introduction through colonization. The mummies, preserved for centuries, held traces of the virus that allowed the team to reconstruct its genetic history. This discovery underscores the devastating impact of European contact on Indigenous communities, who lacked immunity to the new disease. The study provides crucial insight into the timing and spread of smallpox in the New World.