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NEW RESEARCH carried out on human remains at the Museum of London has found that Black women of African descent were more likely to die of the medieval plague in London.
Often referred to today as the ‘Black Death’, the outbreak of 1348-1350, was widely known at the time as the Great Pestilence or Great Mortality.
The study, published by Bioarchaeology International, was undertaken by Dr Rebecca Redfern (Senior Curator of Archaeology, Museum of London), Professor Sharon DeWitte (Biological Anthropologist, University of Colorado), Dr Joseph Hefner (Associate Professor of Anthropology, Michigan State University), and Dr Dorothy Kim (Assistant Professor of English, Brandeis University). It is the first archaeological exploration showing how racism influenced a person’s risk of death during the Great Pestilence and will inform galleries at the museum’s new home in Smithfield, opening in 2026.
The research, which looked at data on bone and dental changes, is based on 145 individuals from three cemeteries: East Smithfield emergency plague cemetery, St Mary Graces and St Mary Spital.
It found:
Significantly higher proportions of people of colour and those of Black African descent in plague burials compared to non-plague burials
Black women of African descent were significantly more likely to die from the plague than other people
The likelihood of dying from the Great Pestilence was highest amongst those who already faced significant hardship, including exposure to serious famine events that hit England during this time.
The research concluded that higher death rates amongst people of colour and those of Black African descent was a result of the “devastating effects” of “premodern structural racism” in the medieval world.
Social and religious divisions based on origin, skin colour and appearance were present in both medieval England and Europe.
Commenting on the research, Dr Rebecca Redfern, Senior Curator of Archaeology at Museum of London, said: “We have no primary written sources from people of colour and those of Black African descent during the Great Pestilence of the 14th century, so archaeological research is essential to understanding more about their lives and experiences.
“As with the recent Covid-19 pandemic, social and economic environment played a significant role in people’s health and this is most likely why we find more people of colour and those of Black African descent in plague burials.”
Professor Sharon DeWitte, Biological Anthropologist, University of Colorado said: “Not only does this research add to our knowledge about the biosocial factors that affected risks of mortality during medieval plague epidemics, it also shows that there is a deep history of social marginalization shaping health and vulnerability to disease in human populations.”
Dr Joseph Hefner, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Michigan State University, said: “This research takes the deep dive into previous thinking about population diversity in medieval England based on primary sources. Combining bioarchaeological method and theory with forensic anthropological methods permits a more nuanced analysis of this very important data.”
Dr Dorothy Kim, Assistant Professor of English, Brandeis University, said: “Chaucer’s 14th-century medieval London was a Black London. The article outlines field-changing possibilities for new archival research and archaeological work. In reconsidering a multiracial English past, we must address how race and anti-Blackness were navigated/negotiated daily on London’s streets and cultural landscape.”
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