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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 in ], but can be applied to any place where ] victims were buried. 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}}
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==Origin== ==Origin==
The plague which swept across ] 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></ref><ref></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. 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 ]. During these times, graveyards rapidly filled, and such graves became available only to wealthy people. Parishes became strained; one example, the records of St. Bride on Fleet Street during the London 1665 plague, shows typical methods employed by the parishes. 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> http://www.history.ac.uk/cmh/epiharding.html</ref>

==Controversy==
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 other diseases, such as ], have been discovered.


==References== ==References==
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Latest revision as of 02:27, 29 September 2024

Mass graves of Black Death victims

A 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

  1. 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".
  2. "Population Loss". History.boisestate.edu. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
  3. "Plague and Public Health in Renaissance Europe". .iath.virginia.edu. 1994-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
  4. "Burial of the plague dead in early modern London". History.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
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