Bioarchaeological research on the Black Death
»Bioarchaeological research on the Black Death: recent advances and future directions«
Sacha Kacki | Université de Bordeaux, PACEA (“De la Préhistoire à l’Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie”, UMR 5199 du CNRS)
The Black Death and subsequent plague epidemics have long been studied only through the prism of historical sources. In recent years, however, plague pits from archaeological burial sites and the skeletal remains they contain have been the focus of more active research. This conference will provide an overview of recent bioarchaeological research on the Black Death, covering both the epidemiology of the disease (e.g. selectivity according to age, sex and pre-existing health) and its repercussions on social behavior (e.g. burial treatment of the victims) and, in the longer term, on biological characteristics and lifestyle of European populations (e.g. health status, diet).