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| {{Short description|Mass graves of Black Death victims}} | |||
| {{Refimprove|date=January 2008}} | |||
| A '''plague pit''' is the informal term used to refer to ]s in which victims of the ] were buried. The term is most often used to describe pits located |
A '''plague pit''' is the informal term used to refer to ]s in which victims of the ] were buried. The term is most often used to describe pits located in ], but can be applied to any place where ] victims were buried.{{cn|date=May 2023}} | ||
| __TOC__ | |||
| ==Origin== | ==Origin== | ||
| The plague |
The plague which swept across ], ], and ] in the 14th century is estimated to have killed between one-third and two-thirds of ].<ref name="barry">Stéphane Barry and Norbert Gualde, "The Greatest Epidemic of History" ("La plus grande épidémie de l'histoire", in '']'' n° 310, June 2006, pp.45-46, say "between one-third and two-thirds"; ] (1983). "Black Death" in '']'', volume 2, pp.257-67, says "between 25 and 45 percent".</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://history.boisestate.edu/westciv/plague/15.shtml |title=Population Loss |publisher=History.boisestate.edu |accessdate=2011-10-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207081157/http://history.boisestate.edu/westciv/plague/15.shtml |archivedate=2009-02-07 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/osheim/plaguein.html |title=Plague and Public Health in Renaissance Europe |publisher=.iath.virginia.edu |date=1994-10-28 |accessdate=2011-10-27}}</ref> Disposal of the bodies of those who died presented huge problems for the authorities, and eventually the normal patterns of burial and funerary observance broke down.{{cn|date=May 2023}} | ||
| ==Major plague outbreaks== | ==Major plague outbreaks== | ||
| Plague pits were used especially often during major plague outbreaks, such as the ]. |
Plague pits were used especially often during major plague outbreaks, such as the ]. Graveyards rapidly filled and parishes became strained; for example the number of deaths in the parish of ], Fleet Street, in 1665 was almost six times normal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.ac.uk/cmh/epiharding.html |title=Burial of the plague dead in early modern London |publisher=History.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-10-27}}</ref> | ||
| In 1665, the total number of deaths in the parish rose to five and a half times their normal number, with 2,111 deaths overall and 1,427 attributed to plague.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.ac.uk/cmh/epiharding.html |title=Burial of the plague dead in early modern London |publisher=History.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-10-27}}</ref> | |||
| ==Controversy regarding Black Death pathogen == | |||
| Some scientists have put forward the idea that the Black Death was not caused by '']'' as some have thought, and some evidence of this has been found in plague pits, where the pathogens of other diseases, such as ], have been discovered. | |||
| However the screening of over 100 skeletal remains from Black Death victims buried in London's ] plague pit points to ''Yersinia pestis'' as the cause.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.nature.com/news/2011/10/black_death.html|title=Black Death plague pit produces first ancient bacterial genome : News blog|website=blogs.nature.com|date=12 October 2011 |first=Ewen|last=Callaway|access-date=2016-09-12}}</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Plague Pit}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Plague Pit}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 02:27, 29 September 2024
Mass graves of Black Death victimsA plague pit is the informal term used to refer to mass graves in which victims of the Black Death were buried. The term is most often used to describe pits located in Great Britain, but can be applied to any place where bubonic plague victims were buried.
Origin
The plague which swept across China, Middle East, and Europe in the 14th century is estimated to have killed between one-third and two-thirds of Europe's population. Disposal of the bodies of those who died presented huge problems for the authorities, and eventually the normal patterns of burial and funerary observance broke down.
Major plague outbreaks
Plague pits were used especially often during major plague outbreaks, such as the London epidemic of 1665. Graveyards rapidly filled and parishes became strained; for example the number of deaths in the parish of St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, in 1665 was almost six times normal.
References
- Stéphane Barry and Norbert Gualde, "The Greatest Epidemic of History" ("La plus grande épidémie de l'histoire", in L'Histoire n° 310, June 2006, pp.45-46, say "between one-third and two-thirds"; Robert Gottfried (1983). "Black Death" in Dictionary of the Middle Ages, volume 2, pp.257-67, says "between 25 and 45 percent".
- "Population Loss". History.boisestate.edu. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
- "Plague and Public Health in Renaissance Europe". .iath.virginia.edu. 1994-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
- "Burial of the plague dead in early modern London". History.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-10-27.