1345 volcanic eruption caused plague to spread in Europe - BBC
Kyiv • UNN
A volcanic eruption around 1345 caused a climate shock that led to poor harvests. This forced Italian cities to import grain from the Black Sea, spreading the plague that killed up to half of Europe's population.
Scientists believe that a volcanic eruption around 1345 could have triggered a chain reaction that caused the plague epidemic in Europe. This is reported by UNN with reference to BBC.
Details
As experts have established, traces preserved in tree rings indicate that the eruption caused a climatic shock and led to a series of events that brought the disease to medieval Europe.
Ash and gases from the volcanic eruption caused a sharp drop in temperature and led to poor harvests.
To prevent famine, densely populated Italian city-states were forced to import grain from areas around the Black Sea, which led to the spread of plague-carrying fleas in Europe.
The plague, also known as the "Black Death," swept through Europe in 1348-49, killing up to half of the population.
The disease was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which was spread by wild rodents such as rats and fleas. It claimed the lives of 30-60% of Europe's population, caused mass deaths, demographic changes, economic decline, and had a profound impact on the psychology and culture of society.