Summary
Scientists suggest that a volcanic eruption around 1345 may have led to the Black Death, Europe's deadliest plague. The eruption possibly caused climate changes resulting in crop failures, prompting Italian cities to import grain from areas carrying plague-infected rodents and fleas. This chain of events potentially introduced the disease to Europe.
Key Facts
- A volcanic eruption around 1345 may have caused climate changes leading to the Black Death.
- Tree rings indicate unusually cold summers in 1345-1347.
- The climate changes led to poor harvests in Europe.
- Italian city-states imported grain from the Black Sea to prevent famine.
- The grain imports brought fleas carrying the Black Death bacterium.
- The disease spread across Europe in 1348-49, killing up to half the population.
- Researchers used tree rings and ice cores to study climatic conditions of that time.
- The Black Death was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, spread by rodents and fleas.
