Twelve Skeletons Discovered Under London Street: Medieval Graves That Could Solve Mystery Of The Black Death

They have lain unseen for centuries – a carefully arranged group of skeletons deep beneath what became one of the busiest areas of London. Millions of feet have tramped unwittingly above them through the years; thousands of tons of earth and rubble concealed their grave.

But yesterday it was hoped that the DNA within the nine sets of remains would unlock a mystery that has baffled and divided medical minds for generations: what caused the Black Death in 1348?

'We will be undertaking scientific tests on the skeletons to establish their cause of death, whether they were plague victims from the 14th century or later residents, how old they were and perhaps evidence of who they were.

'However, at this early stage all points towards this being part of the 14th-century emergency burial ground.'

Around a third of the population of Britain died in the Black Death. Estimates of how many perished in Europe and elsewhere vary between 25million and 200million, making it the grimmest and most destructive pandemic in human history.

 

 

 

 

Source: Daily Mail