When the Black Death or bubonic plague epidemic ravaged London between the autumn of 1348 and the spring of 1350, it may have wiped out as much as half the city’s population. While the victims of this frightening condition came from every social, economic and ethnic class, a new study carried out by researchers from England and the United States has revealed that Black women of African descent died at a higher rate from the plague than any other group.
This intriguing study, which was led by the Museum of London’s Human Osteology Curator Dr. Rebecca Redfern, involved a detailed analysis of 145 plague victims whose remains were excavated from three London cemeteries: the East Smithfield emergency plague cemetery, plus the burial grounds at St. Mary Graces and St. Mary Spital churches. By examining the bones and teeth of these unfortunate individuals it was possible to identify their racial heritage, and it was discovered that the number of African Londoners in these cemeteries was disproportionate to the percentages of people of African descent living in the city at that time. Black women were especially overrepresented, revealing an elevated risk for plague death that was unmatched by any other group.
A bubo on the upper thigh of a person infected with the Black Death. (CDC / Public Domain)
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