"The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353."
A pandemic that swept across Europe in the 14th century, killing millions of people. The disease was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.
Overview of the Black Death: An introduction to the most devastating pandemic in history, which occurred during the 14th century and killed millions of people in Europe and Asia.
Causes of the Black Death: An exploration of the causes of the Black Death, including the role of fleas and rats in spreading the disease, as well as the environmental conditions that contributed to its outbreak.
Symptoms of the Black Death: A description of the various symptoms that people exhibited when infected with the Black Death, including fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and ultimately, death.
Social and economic impact of the Black Death: An examination of how the Black Death impacted society and the economy of medieval Europe. Some of the topics that can be covered here include labor shortages, inflation, and changes in the social order.
Medical responses to the Black Death: A discussion of the medical knowledge and treatments available during the medieval period that aimed to combat the Black Death. This includes topics such as bloodletting, amputation, and other painful remedies.
Religious responses to the Black Death: An exploration of the role of religion in responding to the Black Death, including the impact of the pandemic on religious practices, the emergence of new religious movements, and the role of faith in coping with the calamity.
Artistic and literary responses to the Black Death: An analysis of how the Black Death influenced art and literature during the Medieval period. A wide range of topics can be covered here, including the portrayal of death in art, the emergence of the Danse Macabre, and the role of literature in processing trauma.
Long-term impacts of the Black Death: A consideration of the ways in which the Black Death shaped the course of European history. This includes long-term demographic changes, innovations in medicine and public health, and the impact on political and social structures.
Comparative analysis of pandemics: A comparative analysis of the Black Death with other pandemics that have occurred throughout history. This includes an examination of how societies have responded to pandemics and what lessons can be learned from these experiences.
Contemporary relevance of the Black Death: A consideration of how the Black Death continues to have relevance in contemporary times, especially in relation to public health crises and the role of religion in addressing catastrophe.
"Causing the deaths of 75–200 million people."
"Peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351."
"Bubonic plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis spread by fleas."
"But during the Black Death, it probably also took a secondary form, spread by person-to-person contact via aerosols, causing pneumonic plague."
"The plague created religious, social, and economic upheavals, with profound effects on the course of European history."
"The origin of the Black Death is disputed."
"From Crimea, it was most likely carried by fleas living on the black rats that traveled on Genoese ships, spreading through the Mediterranean Basin and reaching North Africa, Western Asia, and the rest of Europe via Constantinople, Sicily, and the Italian Peninsula."
"There is evidence that once it came ashore, the Black Death mainly spread from person-to-person as pneumonic plague."
"In 2022, it was discovered that there was a sudden surge of deaths in what is today Kyrgyzstan from the Black Death in the late 1330s; when combined with genetic evidence, this implies that the initial spread may not have been due to Mongol conquests in the 14th century, as previously speculated."
"The Black Death was the second great natural disaster to strike Europe during the Late Middle Ages and is estimated to have killed 30 per cent to 60 per cent of the European population, as well as approximately 33 per cent of the population of the Middle East."
"The plague might have reduced the world population from c. 475 million to 350–375 million in the 14th century."
"The European population did not regain its current level from the 14th century until the 16th century."
"Outbreaks of the plague recurred around the world until the early 19th century."
"The pandemic was reportedly first introduced to Europe during the siege of the Genoese trading port of Kaffa in Crimea by the Golden Horde army of Jani Beg in 1347."
"Genetic analysis points to the evolution of Yersinia pestis in the Tian Shan mountains on the border between Kyrgyzstan and China 2,600 years ago."
"Spreading through the Mediterranean Basin and reaching North Africa, Western Asia, and the rest of Europe via Constantinople, Sicily, and the Italian Peninsula."
"There is evidence that once it came ashore, the Black Death mainly spread from person-to-person as pneumonic plague, thus explaining the quick inland spread of the epidemic, which was faster than would be expected if the primary vector was rat fleas causing bubonic plague."
"The Black Death was the second great natural disaster to strike Europe during the Late Middle Ages (the first one being the Great Famine of 1315–1317)."
"The European population did not regain its current level from the 14th century until the 16th century."