[SunkenCiv]

Climate Data Suggests Famine Worsened Black Death

[stormer]

Hmmm. That dovetails interestingly with this: http://www.npr.org/2015/02/28/389595442/rats-blamed-for-bubonic-plague-but-gerbils-may-be-the-real-villains

[Billthedrill]

A more conventional interpretation is that the Black Death caused famine, by killing off enough of the farmers to harm the harvest. That interpretation also suggests that the shortage of harvesters made them a valuable, hire-able commodity and freed them from peasantry. The economic consequences for 14th-century Europe were huge, and the Renaissance may well have owed some of its energy to the disaster.

It is likely that both were the case - disease does, after all, spread more easily through a malnourished population. This sort of thing is never cut-and-dried. A similar effect was brought about in the 17th century by the Thirty Years' War, which had a similar mortality among the farming population. Suddenly food cost a lot of money. When that happens, things change.

[Jimmy Valentine]

There is a good book “Justinians Flea” which explores how the Plague came to Byzantium brought by grain ships from Egypt. Devastated their population.

[Little Bill]

Yup, The Great Famine of 1311 thru 1317. Really Nasty some say the effects continued until 1322 -1327.

[Mike Darancette]

In addition, historical researchers believe that famine in northern Europe before the plague came ashore may have weakened the population there and set the stage for its devastation.

Shhh, don't tell anyone but that was at the start of a cold period (little ice age).

[SuzyQue]

That’s what I was taught 40 years ago.

[Mr. K]

well when half the people are sick, who is there to grow crops?