Anthropology Lecture, “Bioarchaeology of Plague”

“Bioarchaeology of Plague: Health and Demography in Medieval London” by Dr. Sharon DeWitte

Dr. DeWitte, a paleodemographer who specializes in epidemic diseases in past populations, will present her recent research on the 14th-century Black Death, one of the most important infectious disease epidemics in human history. The Black Death killed millions of people within just a few years, caused dramatic demographic, social and economic changes, and was likely a strong force affecting human evolution. Dr. DeWitte has analyzed large skeletal samples from Europe, revealing new insights into the medieval disease and providing empirical evidence that the Black Death was not an indiscriminate killer as has often been assumed. Her talk will focus on her current investigation of the demographic and health effects of the epidemic and its relevance for living people.