'Pathocene' integrates the concepts of 'pathogens' and the 'Pleistocene' epoch. The project aims to discover ancient pathogenic DNA (apDNA) from Southern African archaeological caves and rock-shelters spanning the past 100,000 years. While ancient hunter-gatherer groups could not sustain infectious agents like measles and influenza, it is nevertheless from this pre-65,000 year sub-Saharan African ‘Pleistocene disease baseline’ that most modern human diseases derive.