How did volcanoes cause the spread of the Black Death in Europe?
A recent scientific study has revealed a surprising and historic link between natural disasters and epidemics, with the results showing that a volcanic eruption in the middle of the 14th century AD was the first spark for a series of events that led to the outbreak of the “Black Death” in the European continent.
Volcanic Winter and the Great Famine
A study conducted by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Leipzig, and published in the journal *Communications Earth & Environment*, revealed that a massive volcanic eruption (or series of eruptions) around 1345 caused a drastic climate shift, resulting in a significant drop in temperature and sunlight intensity—a phenomenon known as "volcanic winter." This sudden climate change devastated crops across Europe, leading to widespread famine and forcing European nations to seek alternative food sources.
Trade routes: A bridge to both survival and death
In an attempt to save their populations from famine, major European cities, particularly Italian ones like Venice and Genoa, increased their reliance on grain imports from the Black Sea region and Central Asia. The tragic irony is that the grain ships intended to save people from starvation carried death through disease. These ships became ideal breeding grounds for rodents and fleas carrying the Yersinia pestis bacterium, which causes the plague.
From Asia to the heart of Europe
Historical and genetic evidence suggests that the plague originated in 1338 near Lake Issyk-Kul in present-day Kyrgyzstan, at the foot of the Tian Shan Mountains. With active trade to compensate for food shortages, the bacteria traveled along the maritime and overland Silk Roads, reaching European ports starting in 1347. Once there, and with the population's collective immunity weakened by malnutrition and previous famine, the epidemic spread like wildfire.
Evidence from tree rings
The research team based its conclusions on dendrochronology, analyzing tree growth rings in the forests of the Spanish Pyrenees. The analysis revealed an unusual and rare decrease in wood density and growth during the years 1345 and 1346, confirming that the region experienced harsh climatic conditions and extreme cold coinciding with the presumed volcanic eruption.
Human losses and changing the course of history
The Black Death was not merely a passing epidemic; it was a demographic catastrophe that transformed Europe and the world. In just six years, the plague claimed the lives of approximately 25 million people, representing 30% to 60% of Europe's population at the time. This immense loss of life subsequently led to radical social and economic changes, including labor shortages and rising wages, which contributed to the end of feudalism and the beginning of the Renaissance.
