"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 caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, resulting in the deaths of millions of people in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and leading to significant economic and social changes.
The Spread of the Black Death: An exploration of how the disease spread across Europe and Asia, including routes of transmission and factors that contributed to its rapid spread.
Symptoms and Treatment: An examination of the symptoms of the disease, including buboes, fevers, and respiratory issues, as well as the various treatments employed during the time period.
Demographic Impacts: An analysis of the demographic impacts of the Black Death, including changes in population levels, migration patterns, and social structures.
Economic Impacts: A discussion of the economic impacts of the pandemic, including the effects on trade, agriculture, and labor supply.
Social and Religious Responses: An exploration of the social and religious responses to the Black Death, including mourning rituals, religious practices, and attempts to understand the causes of the disease.
Political Responses: A review of the political responses to the pandemic, including attempts to restrict movement, quarantine measures, and other policy solutions.
Artistic and Cultural Representations: An analysis of the ways in which the Black Death was depicted in art and literature, including the themes of death and mortality that emerged during the period.
Medical Research and Advances: A study of the medical research and advances made during the time period, including the development of new treatments and the understanding of infectious diseases.
Legacy and Memory of the Black Death: A discussion of how the Black Death has been remembered and commemorated over time, including its impact on the development of science, medicine, and culture.
Comparisons with Other Epidemics and Pandemics: An exploration of how the Black Death compares with other major global pandemics, including HIV/AIDS, the Spanish Flu, and COVID-19.
"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."