5 The Archaeology of “Plague”

Researchers from a wide array of disciplines have investigated ancient ''plagues'', from fields as diverse as microbiology, ancient history, epidemiology, zoology, palaeopathology and archaeology, both independently from each other or in collaborative multidisciplinary teams. This paper aims to discuss the role of archaeology within such investigations and, perhaps more significantly, to highlight some of the limitations of the archaeological data on which many such studies are based. Non-archaeologists may not fully appreciate these limitations, as archaeology invariably operates under the constraints of an incomplete, biased, poorly preserved and often problematic sample. Only once these limitations are taken into account can the archaeological record be used to its ''full'' potential. Applying scientific methods to, and developing elaborate theories from, archaeological material without taking such shortcomings into account can seriously affect academic validity. Nonetheless, archaeology has a role to play in the study of ancient ''plagues''. Archaeological methods from a wide range of sub-disciplines can offer additional or alternative avenues of research that may help us identify and understand the diseases behind ancient ''plagues''. The Black Death burial site at East Smithfield, London, will provide a background to the discussion. The Black Death is believed to have arrived in Europe from the Crimea during October 1347. It rapidly spread across Europe, arriving in Weymouth on the south coast of England in June/July 1348, and by November it had reached London. 2 In the capital, the death rate rose rapidly from December 1348, reaching a peak in April 1349 and falling significantly by June 1349. The impact of the Black Death epidemic was catastrophic, and at its height, a I would like to thank the organizers for inviting me to speak at the conference and Prof. Charlotte Roberts for her useful comments. I wish to thank the Museum of London, and in particular Bill White of the Museum's Centre for Human Bioarchaeology, for arranging access to the Royal Mint skeletal assemblage. I would also like to thank the other participants in the Royal Mint research: Prof.