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This website has instructions for a game that will be played in class. The game demonstrates how the plague spread so easily and so quickly throughout Europe.

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Students will use google docs to access guided notes, fill out the notes, and share the notes with the teacher.

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Store, share, and collaborate on files and folders from your mobile device, tablet, or computer

Built-in protections against malware, spam, and ransomware

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Personal Cloud Storage & File Sharing Platform - Google

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Learn about Google Drive's file sharing platform that provides a personal, secure cloud storage option to share content with other users.

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This website allows students to collaborate by writing short notes and linking videos or other sites and resources. It will be used during the unit to collaborate on a project.

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This tool lets students make up their own blogs. In future history classes I could have students use this tool to pretend they were in a certain time period, and write a blog from that person's point of view.

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I will use Nearpod to insert questions within a youtube video. The video stops until the student answers a question. Then the grades are sent back to the teacher.

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Poll everywhere could help me insert live polling into a presentation. The students would answer the poll questions on their personal computers. Then the answers will come up on the scree.

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Live activities for teammates, students, and friends

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Present your activities from the web or by adding them to your slides in PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides with the Poll Everywhere app. Once you share your screen, the conversation begins!

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Host engaging online conversations with Poll Everywhere. Create interactive questions and activities, present on the web, and gain insight from the responses.

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This website will let me view student screens while they are using them. It could let me help students who are working on something in class, and make sure everyone is staying on track.

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Free screen sharing using Screenleap. The fast, simple, and free way to share your screen instantly for online meetings, sales demos, and collaboration.

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This website allows teachers and students to connect on big assignments like quizzes, tests, and projects; as well as smaller things like quick questions or exit tickets.

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This is a good cite for me to get basic information for my lesson.

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The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. Explore the facts of the plague, the symptoms it caused and how millions died from it.

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A great article that shows where the plague came from and how it spread so easily.

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The strain of bacterium analyzed from the bones and teeth of a Hereford plague pit dug in 1349 is identical to that from a plague pit of 1348 in southern France, suggesting a direct route of travel. But a plague pit in the Dutch town of Bergen op Zoom has bacteria of a different strain, which the researchers infer arrived from Norway.

The Black Death is the middle of three great waves of plague that have hit in historical times. The first appeared in the 6th century during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, reaching his capital, Constantinople, on grain ships from Egypt. The Justinian plague, as historians call it, is thought to have killed perhaps half the population of Europe and to have eased the Arab takeover of Byzantine provinces in the Near East and Africa.

The third great wave of plague began in China's Yunnan province in 1894, emerged in Hong Kong and then spread via shipping routes throughout the world. It reached the United States through a plague ship from Hong Kong that docked at Hawaii, where plague broke out in December 1899, and then San Francisco, whose plague epidemic began in March 1900.

The three plague waves have now been tied together in common family tree by a team of medical geneticists led by Mark Achtman of University College Cork in Ireland. By looking at genetic variations in living strains of Yersinia pestis, Dr. Achtman's team has reconstructed a family tree of the bacterium. By counting the number of genetic changes, which clock up at a generally steady rate, they have dated the branch points of the tree, which enables the major branches to be correlated with historical events.

In the issue of Nature Genetics published online Sunday, they conclude that all three of the great waves of plague originated from China, where the root of their tree is situated. Plague would have reached Europe across the Silk Road, they say. An epidemic of plague that reached East Africa was probably spread by the voyages of the Chinese admiral Zheng He who led a fleet of 300 ships to Africa in 1409.

"What's exciting is that we are able to reconstruct the historical routes of bacterial disease over centuries," Dr. Achtman said.

Lester K. Little, an expert on the Justinian plague at Smith College, said in an interview from Bergamo, Italy, that the epidemic was first reported by the Byzantine historian Procopius in 541 A.D. from the ancient port of Pelusium, near Suez in Egypt. Historians had assumed it arrived there from the Red Sea or Africa, but the Chinese origin now suggested by the geneticists is possible, Dr. Little said.

The geneticists' work is "immensely impressive," Dr. Little said, and adds a third leg to the studies of plague by historians and by archaeologists.

The likely origin of the plague in China has nothing to do with its people or crowded cities, Dr. Achtman said. The bacterium has no interest in people, whom it slaughters by accident. Its natural hosts are various species of rodent such as marmots and voles, which are found throughout China.

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Europe's Plagues Came From China, Study Finds

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The strain of bacterium analyzed from the bones and teeth of a Hereford plague pit dug in 1349 is identical to that from a plague pit of 1348 in southern France, suggesting a direct route of travel. But a plague pit in the Dutch town of Bergen op Zoom has bacteria of a different strain, which the researchers infer arrived from Norway.

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This cite will help all of the students organize their materials for the unit as we go along.

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This game cite will be used for some review at the end of the unit.

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This tool could be really cool if used correctly. If you had a teacher friend in another school, you could connect classes while learning about similar things.

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Download Skype for mobile & desktop | Skype

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Download the free Skype video call app for your desktop, mobile, or tablet. Staying in touch with friends and family just got more fun.

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This tool allows students to add art to stories that they are writing. I think it would be really cool to connect it with a writing assignment.

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Something I can present to the students to show that the Bubonic Plague has affected more than just Europe.

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Something the students can read to make the Plague seem more personal.

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What was Martin Luther's teaching regarding death, and to what extent did his own fears of and experiences with death manifest themselves in his writings? What influence did the medieval preoccupation with a 'good death' have upon him? How did Luther counsel those facing death-to meet it with acceptance, or resistance, or both?

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A cite I can reference to explain how horrible the plague was.

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centers for disease control and prevention

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Important signs and symptoms of plague...

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A cite the students can reference while working on an in-class project for the unit.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Diagnosis

Plague should be considered in any patient with clinical signs of plague and a recent history of residence in or travel to the western United States or other plague endemic areas. Bubonic plague is the most common primary manifestation, with a bubo usually occurring in the groin, axilla, or cervical nodes. Buboes are often so painful that patients are generally guarded and have restricted movement in the affected region. The incubation period for bubonic plague is usually 2 to 8 days. If bubonic plague is untreated, Yersinia pestis can invade the bloodstream and spread rapidly, causing sepsis; if the lungs are seeded, pneumonia can develop.

Sepsis and pneumonia can also be primary manifestations of plague. The incubation period of septicemic plague is poorly defined but likely occurs within days of exposure, while the incubation period of pneumonic plague is usually just 1 to 3 days. A person with pneumonic plague may experience high fever, chills, cough, and dyspnea and may expel bloody sputum. If patients with pneumonic or septicemic plague are not given specific antibiotic therapy, the disease can progress rapidly to death.

Although the majority of patients with plague present with a bubo, some may have nonspecific symptoms. For example, septicemic plague can present with prominent gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain ( MMWR, 2006). Additional rare forms of plague include pharyngeal, meningeal, and cutaneous.

Appropriate diagnostic samples include blood cultures, lymph node aspirates if possible, and/or sputum, if indicated. If plague is suspected, local and state health departments should be notified immediately. If the patient has signs of pneumonic plague, they should also be isolated and placed on droplet precautions to reduce the risk of person-to-person transmission pdf icon [PDF - 2 pages] of plague.

Laboratory Testing

If plague is suspected, pre-treatment specimens should be taken if possible, but treatment should not be delayed. Specimens should be obtained from appropriate sites for isolating the bacteria, based on the clinical presentation, and may include:

Lymph node aspirate: An affected bubo typically contains numerous organisms that can be evaluated microscopically and by culture.

Blood cultures: Routine blood cultures are a sensitive means of detecting plague. In later stages of disease, levels of bacteremia are high enough that organisms may occasionally be seen on blood smears.

Sputum: Culture is possible from sputum of very ill patients with pneumonic plague; however, blood is usually culture positive at this time as well.

Bronchial/tracheal wash samples may be taken from patients with suspected pneumonic plague. Throat specimens are not ideal for isolation of Y. pestis since they often contain many other bacteria that can mask the presence of Y. pestis.

In cases where live organisms are unculturable, lymphoid, spleen, lung, and liver tissue or bone marrow samples may yield evidence of Y. pestis by direct detection methods such as direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) or PCR.

Y. pestis may be identified microscopically by examination of Gram, Wright, Giemsa, or Wayson's stained smears of peripheral blood, lymph node specimen, or sputum. Visualization of small Gram negative rods with Gram stain and bipolar-staining with Wright, Giemsa or Wayson stains, (organisms with a "safety pin" appearance) should trigger the suspicion of plague. Automated biochemical identification systems and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identification systems may misidentify the cultured organism.

If cultures yield negative results and plague is still suspected, serologic testing is possible to confirm the diagnosis. One serum specimen should be taken as early in the illness as possible, followed by a convalescent sample 4-6 weeks or more after disease onset.
More information about specimen submission.
Recommended antimicrobial treatment for plague

Begin appropriate therapy as soon as plague is suspected. Gentamicin and fluoroquinolones are first-line treatments in the United States. Duration of treatment is 10 to 14 days, but treatment can be extended for patients with ongoing fever or other concerning signs. Patients can be treated with intravenous or oral antimicrobials, depending on severity of illness and other clinical factors.

The regimens listed below may need to be adjusted depending on a patient's age, medical history, underlying health conditions, or allergies. Please use clinical judgment and, if needed, consult an infectious disease specialist regarding individual patient treatment decisions.
Additional information:
Recommended antimicrobial treatment of adults and children with pneumonic or septicemic plague

Pediatric regimens are for children aged ≥1 month to ≤17 years. Only first-line treatment options are listed here. For additional treatment options, see: Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response

Recommended antibiotic treatment for plague pdf icon [PDF - 3 pages] - Print only

Recommended antimicrobial treatment of adults and children with bubonic or pharyngeal plague

Pediatric regimens are for children aged ≥1 month to ≤17 years. Only first-line treatment options are listed here. For additional treatment options, see: Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response

Children: 10 mg/kg every 8 or 12 hrs (maximum 400 mg/dose)

Children: 15 mg/kg every 8 or 12 hrs (maximum 500 mg/dose every 8 hrs or 750 mg/dose every 12 hrs)

Weight <50 kg: 8 mg/kg every 12 hrs (maximum 250 mg/dose)
Weight ≥50 kg: 500-750 mg every 24 hrs

Doxycycline

Adults: 200 mg loading dose, then 100 mg every 12 hrs

IV or PO

Bacteriostatic, but FDA approved and effective in a randomized trial when compared to gentamicin. ² No evidence of tooth staining after multiple short courses. ³

Children: Weight <45 kg: 4.4 mg/kg loading dose, then 2.2 mg/kg every 12 hrs (maximum 100 mg/dose)

Weight ≥45 kg: same as adult dose

Children: 4.5-7.5 mg/kg every 24 hrs

Children: 15 mg/kg every 12 hrs (maximum 1 g/dose)

⁵ Since abscesses such as buboes have lower pH than most human tissues, transport of aminoglycosides into the bacterial cell may be reduced. Clinicians may consider alternative or dual therapy for patients with large buboes.

Recommended antimicrobial treatment of pregnant women with pneumonic, bubonic, septicemic, or pharyngeal plague

Only first-line treatment options are listed here. For additional treatment options, see: Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response

Gentamicin AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING

Same as adult dose

IM or IV

Not FDA approved but considered an effective alternative to streptomycin. 1,2,3

400 mg every 8 hrs

IV

FDA approved based on animal studies and clinical data. ⁴

Levofloxacin

Same as adult dose

IV or PO

FDA approved based on animal studies; clinical data for human plague is limited.

³ Since abscesses such as buboes have lower pH than most human tissues, transport of aminoglycosides into the bacterial cell may be reduced. Clinicians may consider alternative or dual therapy for patients with large buboes.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis

Pre-exposure prophylaxis for first responders and health care providers who will care for patients with pneumonic plague is not considered necessary as long as standard and droplet precautions can be maintained. In cases of surgical mask shortages, patient overcrowding, poor ventilation in hospital wards, or other situations, pre-exposure prophylaxis might be warranted if sufficient supplies of antimicrobials are available. Prophylaxis can be discontinued 48 hours after the last perceived exposure. For more information, see Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response.

Post-exposure prophylaxis

Post-exposure prophylaxis is indicated for persons with known exposure to plague, such as close (< 6 ft), sustained contact with a patient or animal with pneumonic plague or direct contact with infected body fluids or tissues. Post-exposure prophylaxis should be given for 7 days. Prophylaxis with a single antimicrobial agent is recommended for potentially exposed persons following a case of naturally acquired infection or intentional release of Y. pestis. If engineered resistance is detected in the aftermath of a bioterrorism attack, antimicrobial choice can be targeted based on available information. For more information, see Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response.

Pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis for adults and children potentially exposed to Yersinia pestis

Pediatric regimens are for children aged ≥1 month to ≤17 years. Only first-line prophylaxis options are listed here. For additional prophylaxis options, see: Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response

Recommended antimicrobial pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis for plague pdf icon [PDF - 1 page] - Print only

¹No evidence of tooth staining after multiple short courses. Source: Todd SR, Dahlgren FS, Traeger MS, Beltrán-Aguilar ED, Marianos DW, Hamilton C, McQuiston JH, Regan JJ. No visible dental staining in children treated with doxycycline for suspected Rocky Mountain spotted fever. J Pediatr. 2015 May;166(5):1246-51.

Case Definition and Report Forms

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centers for disease control and prevention

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Plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. It is caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis.

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An article the students will read to see how the Bubonic Plague is still alive in some places of the world.

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THE Black Death, one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, brought entire civilisations to their knees during its last major global outbreak.

Earlier this year it was confirmed the plague has hit America, and an ongoing outbreak in Madagascar has infected thousands of people. Here's the latest.

What is plague?

Plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria usually found in small mammals and their fleas.

It has an extremely high fatality rate and is very infectious, although it can be treated by antibiotics if it's caught early.

There are three forms of plague infection: pneumoic plague, septicaemic plague and bubonic plague, the most common form.

Bubonic plague was known as the Black Death in medieval Europe, where an outbreak brought entire civilisations to their knees and decimated the world's population.

Black Death is spread through the bite of infected fleas, whereas pneumonic plague, the most contagious form, develops after a bubonic infection.

Pneumonic infections can then be spread through the air, while septicaemic plague occurs when infection spreads through the bloodstream.

When was the Black Death?

The Black Death, a widespread bubonic plague infection, peaked in Europe between 1346 and 1353.

It was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, leaving an estimated 75 - 200 million people dead in Eurasia.

This fatality rate represents a staggering 30-60 per cent of the European population at the time.

After the plague, society experienced a series of marked changes, including a rise in religious fanaticism.

Lacking the medical knowledge to understand the pandemic, some groups blamed Jews and lepers for the outbreak - resulting in mass killings throughout Europe.

It took around 300 years for global populations to return to pre-plague levels after the outbreak.

What are plague symptoms?

The World Health Organisation describes plague symptoms as "flu-like", with one to seven days between incubation and the symptoms emerging.

Sufferers are likely to have painful lymph nodes, chills, fever, headaches, weakness and fatigue.

In bubonic sufferers, these inflamed lymph nodes may end up turning into pus-filled open sores.

Bubonic plague is fatal in 30-60 per cent of cases, while the pneumonic kind is always fatal, if left untreated.

How is plague spread?

The three different types of plague all refer to different ways the disease can be spread.

In bubonic infections, plague-causing bacteria can be transmitted between animals and fleas, with infected fleas then passing the disease on to people through bites.

Infected people may then develop pneumonic plague once their bubonic infection becomes advanced.

Lung-based pneumonic plague can then sometimes be transmitted through the air between sufferers.

Following a pneumonic or bubonic infection, people can then develop septicaemic plague, which occurs when the infection spreads through the bloodstream.

What has happened in Madagascar?

In October health officials warned that "no one is safe" from a deadly outbreak of Black Death on the holiday island of Madagascar which has now infected more than 2,000 people.

They say the disease has now become much more contagious because it is now being transmitted from person-to-person through the air - as well as from animals to humans through infected flea bites.

The death toll from the disease has climbed well beyond 150, with the UK Government warning British tourists to stay away from plague-hit areas and neighbouring countries put on alert.

And a scientist has warned that the nation's healthcare system will be unable to cope if the crisis continues, with medical staff among those being struck down.

While cases of bubonic plague occur in Madagascar nearly every year, this years epidemic is "much more dangerous", according to one expert.

The disease remains endemic in rural parts of the African island but the rise in the pneumonic version of the illness has sparked particular concern.

The World Health Organisation said that this year, plague arrived earlier than expected, and the infection is also spreading in urban centres and in areas that until now had not been affected.

What happened in the Great Plague of London?

The Great Plague of London struck the city in 1665 and lasted well into 1666 and was the last major outbreak to hit England.

Across Europe, the plague was endemic in major cities, periodically erupting in pockets across the continent for centuries.

But the outbreak of 1665 was of a proportion far greater than had been seen for some time.

It is not known where the plague that hit London originated from but it is thought most likely to have come across on a Dutch ship.

While deaths began in late 1664 they struck in earnest at the start of 1665 and were rampant by the summer, causing the King to flee the city in July.

At its height, the disease was claiming 7,000 lives a week, according to conservative measurements.

The outbreak did not fully come to an end until September 1666, coincidentally as the city was struck by another tragedy, The Great Fire.

Some believed that this is what caused the end to the plague but others argue that it had already virtually died out by the time it struck.

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What is the Black Death, what's happened in Madagascar, what are bubonic plague symptoms and when was The Great Plague of London?

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THE Black Death, one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, brought entire civilisations to their knees during its last major global outbreak. Earlier this year it was confirmed the plague has hit America, and an ongoing outbreak in Madagascar has infected thousands of people. Here's the latest.

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A cite that has facts and maps about the worst year of the Plague 1348. This year is what most people think of when they hear about the classic stereotypes of the Bubonic Plague.

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Coming out of the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25% and 50% of Europe's population had fallen victim to the pestilence.

The plague presented itself in three interrelated forms. The bubonic variant (the most common) derives its name from the swellings or buboes that appeared on a victim's neck, armpits or groin. These tumors could range in size from that of an egg to that of an apple. Although some survived

the painful ordeal, the manifestation of these lesions usually signaled the victim had a life expectancy of up to a week. Infected fleas that attached themselves to rats and then to humans spread this bubonic type of the plague. A second variation - pneumonic plague - attacked the respiratory system and was spread by merely breathing the exhaled air of a victim. It was much more virulent than its bubonic cousin - life expectancy was measured in one or two days. Finally, the septicemic version of the disease attacked the blood system.
Having no defense and no understanding of the cause of the pestilence, the men, women and children caught in its onslaught were bewildered, panicked, and finally devastated.

The Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio lived through the plague as it ravaged the city of Florence in 1348. The experience inspired him to write The Decameron, a story of seven men and three women who escape the disease by fleeing to a villa outside the city. In his introduction to the fictional portion of his book, Boccaccio gives a graphic description of the effects of the epidemic on his city.

"The symptoms were not the same as in the East, where a gush of blood from the nose was the plain sign of inevitable death; but it began both in men and women with certain swellings in the groin or under the armpit. They grew to the size of a small apple or an egg, more or less, and were vulgarly called tumours. In a short space of time these tumours spread from the two parts named all over the body. Soon after this the symptoms changed and black or purple spots appeared on the arms or thighs or any other part of the body, sometimes a few large ones, sometimes many little ones. These spots were a certain sign of death, just as the original tumour had been and still remained. No doctor's advice, no medicine could overcome or alleviate this disease, An enormous number of ignorant men and women set up as doctors in addition to those who were trained. Either the disease was such that no treatment was possible or the doctors were so ignorant that they did not know what caused it, and consequently could not administer the proper remedy. In any case very few recovered; most people died within about three days of the appearance of the tumours described above, most of them without any fever or other symptoms.

The violence of this disease was such that the sick communicated it to the healthy who came near them, just as a fire catches anything dry or oily near it. And it even went further. To speak to or go near the sick brought infection and a common death to the living; and moreover, to touch the clothes or anything else the sick had touched or worn gave the disease to the person touching. "

"...Such fear and fanciful notions took possession of the living that almost all of them adopted the same cruel policy, which was entirely to avoid the sick and everything belonging to them. By so doing, each one thought he would secure his own safety.

Some thought that moderate living and the avoidance of all superfluity would preserve them from the epidemic. They formed small communities, living entirely separate from everybody else. They shut themselves up in houses where there were no sick, eating the finest food and drinking the best wine very temperately, avoiding all excess, allowing no news or discussion of death and sickness, and passing the time in music and suchlike pleasures. Others thought just the opposite. They thought the sure cure for the plague was to drink and be merry, to go about singing and amusing themselves, satisfying every appetite they could, laughing and jesting at what happened. They put their words into practice, spent day and night going from tavern to tavern, drinking immoderately, or went into other people's houses, doing only those things which pleased them. This they could easily do because everyone felt doomed and had abandoned his

property, so that most houses became common property and any stranger who went in made use of them as if he had owned them. And with all this bestial behaviour, they avoided the sick as much as possible.
In this suffering and misery of our city, the authority of human and divine laws almost disappeared, for, like other men, the ministers and the executors of the laws were all dead or sick or shut up with their families, so that no duties were carried out. Every man was therefore able to do as he pleased.

Many others adopted a course of life midway between the two just described. They did not restrict their victuals so much as the former, nor allow themselves to be drunken and dissolute like the latter, but satisfied their appetites moderately. They did not shut themselves up, but went about, carrying flowers or scented herbs or perfumes in their hands, in the belief that it was an excellent thing to comfort the brain with such odours; for the whole air was infected with the smell of dead bodies, of sick persons and medicines.

Others again held a still more cruel opinion, which they thought would keep them safe. They said that the only medicine against the plague-stricken was to go right away from them. Men and women, convinced of this and caring about nothing but themselves, abandoned their own city, their own houses, their dwellings, their relatives, their property, and went abroad or at least to the country round Florence, as if God's wrath in punishing men's wickedness with this plague would not follow them but strike only those who remained within the walls of the city, or as if they thought nobody in the city would remain alive and that its last hour had come."

"Brother
abandoned
brother"

"One citizen avoided another, hardly any neighbour troubled about others, relatives never or hardly ever visited each other. Moreover, such terror was struck into the hearts of men and women by this calamity, that brother abandoned brother, and the uncle his nephew, and the sister her brother, and very often the wife her husband. What is even worse and nearly incredible is that fathers and mothers refused to see and tend their children, as if they had not been theirs.
Thus, a multitude of sick men and women were left without any care, except from the charity of friends (but these were few), or the greed, of servants, though not many of these could be had even for high wages, Moreover, most of them were coarse-minded men and women, who did little more than bring the sick what they asked for or watch over them when they were dying. And very often these servants lost their lives and their earnings. Since the sick were thus abandoned by neighbours, relatives and friends, while servants were scarce, a habit sprang up which had never been heard of before. Beautiful and noble women, when they fell sick, did not scruple to take a young or old man-servant, whoever he might be, and with no sort of shame, expose every part of their bodies to these men as if they had been women, for they were compelled by the necessity of their sickness to do so. This, perhaps, was a cause of looser morals in those women who survived."

"The plight of the lower and most of the middle classes was even more pitiful to behold. Most of them remained in their houses, either through poverty or in hopes of safety, and fell sick by thousands. Since they received no care and attention, almost all of them died. Many ended their lives in the streets both at night and during the day; and many others who died in their houses were only known to be dead because the neighbours smelled their decaying bodies. Dead bodies filled every corner. Most of them were treated in the same manner by the survivors, who were more

concerned to get rid of their rotting bodies than moved by charity towards the dead. With the aid of porters, if they could get them, they carried the bodies out of the houses and laid them at the door; where every morning quantities of the dead might be seen. They then were laid on biers or, as these were often lacking, on tables.
Such was the multitude of corpses brought to the churches every day and almost every hour that there was not enough consecrated ground to give them burial, especially since they wanted to bury each person in the family grave, according to the old custom. Although the cemeteries were full they were forced to dig huge trenches, where they buried the bodies by hundreds. Here they stowed them away like bales in the hold of a ship and covered them with a little earth, until the whole trench was full."

References:
Boccaccio, Giovanni, The Decameron vol. I (translated by Richard Aldington illustrated by Jean de Bosschere) (1930); Gottfried, Robert, The Black Death (1983).

How To Cite This Article:
"The Black Death, 1348," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2001).

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Coming out of the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25% and 50% of Europe's population had fallen victim to the pestilence.