Beyond Rats and Fleas: The Real Story of the Black Plague

This episode traces the Black Death from its origins in Central Asia to its devastating sweep across Eurasia, exploring how trade, migration, and war fueled its spread, how medieval communities responded with early quarantine measures, and what skeletal evidence reveals about who suffered most.

Guests:

• Philip Slavin: Professor of Medieval and Environmental History, University of Stirling; co-leads the Plague Synergy Project
• Sharon DeWitte: Professor, Department of Anthropology and Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder; specializes in bioarchaeology and mortality crises of the medieval period