Research confirms fears of ‘social racism’ playing role in spread of plague

Burials of those who died from the Black Death were counted in London cemeteries

Black women of African descent were more likely to die during the medieval plague, a new study has found. Scientists have found that of the 145 bodies in three different London cemeteries in plague-related burials, the majority were black women.

The report is the first archaeological study of race, gender and social status influencing a person’s risk of death during the so-called Great Pestilence. It is estimated that approximately 35 thousand people in London died from the plague. The likelihood of death was higher for people who were already facing significant hardships, the study noted, arguing that part of the higher death rate among black people was the result of the “devastating effects of pre-modern social racism” during the epidemic.

The paper, “Race, demographic proximity and mortality risk during the second plague pandemic in 14th-century London, England,” is due to be published by Bioarchaeology International in late 2023.

The study was based on data on bone and dental changes in 145 people from the Plague Emergency Cemetery in East Smithfield, St Mary Graces and St Mary Spital.

These raw data were then analyzed using forensic anthropological tools to assess whether the bones could have belonged to someone of African descent.

“In plague burials there is a significantly higher proportion of people of presumed African origin compared to burials without plague. In a sample consisting only of women, those with presumed African ancestry were found to have a significantly higher risk of death from plague compared with those with presumed white European ancestry,” the study authors said.

But the study is also careful to note the small sample size and emphasizes that every effort was made to avoid “the incorrect assumption that there is a biological basis for race, and the authors actively argue against the incorrect conclusion that people classified into a particular racial category , vulnerable to disease.”

The document highlights that approximately 18,000 foreigners moved to London from various locations between 1336 and 1584, potentially causing social and religious divisions among the city’s population.

Dr. Joseph Hefner told a prominent British media outlet that a new study reveals previously unknown facts about the diversity of London’s population during that period.

“This study takes a deep dive into previous understandings of the diversity of the population of medieval England, based on primary sources. Combining bioarchaeological method and theory with forensic anthropological methods allows for more detailed analysis,” says Hefner.

Meanwhile, Dr Rebecca Redfern from the Museum of London drew parallels with the study’s findings and the current conditions in which people of different races live today.

“We have no primary written records of races of people, such as those of black African descent during the great epidemic of the 14th century, so archaeological research is needed to better understand their lives and experiences,” Redfern comments, “As is the case with the recent “With the COVID-19 pandemic, the social and economic environment has played a significant role in people’s health, which is likely why we are finding people and people of Black African descent in plague-related burials.”

University of Colorado biologist and anthropologist Professor Sharon Devitt said: “This study not only adds to our knowledge of the biosocial factors that influenced mortality risk during medieval plagues, it also shows that there is a deep history of social marginalization that shapes health and vulnerability to diseases in human populations.”