The Global Spread of Black Death

A lecture exploring the global spread of the Black Death, from 1338 to 1353.

Climate, Rodents and Humans: the Global Spread of the Black Death, 1338-1353

The Black Death was one of the most devastating - perhaps the single most devastating - mortality crises in human history, but its global spread remains poorly understood. In this talk, Professor Philip Slavin re-examines the pandemic’s first wave, from 1338 to 1353, by bringing together historical evidence, palaeogenetics, archaeological, and palaeo-ecological perspectives.

Rather than treating the plague as a simple east-to-west invasion, Prof Slavin investigates the complex interactions between its causative agent Yersinia pestis, rodent populations, climate, and human mobility.