Medieval mass grave unearthed in Germany may contain remains of Black Death victims
Scientists unearth possible mass grave for medieval plague victims
- Researchers have found strong evidence of a mass grave containing thousands of Black Death victims near Erfurt, Germany.
- An interdisciplinary team used historical records, land measurements, and sediment cores to pinpoint a burial structure corresponding to 14th-century accounts of 12,000 burials.
- Excavations at the site, near the deserted medieval village of Neuses, revealed fragments of human remains definitively dated to the 14th century.
- The discovery is significant because confirmed and precisely dated Black Death mass graves are exceedingly rare, with fewer than 10 known across Europe.
- Further research at this site could provide insights into the evolution of the Yersinia pestis pathogen, the causes of high mortality, and how societies responded to epidemics.