A lecture exploring the global spread of the Black Death, from 1338 to 1353.

Climate, Rodents and Humans: the Global Spread of the Black Death, 1338-1353

The Black Death was one of the most devastating - perhaps the single most devastating - mortality crises in human history, but its global spread remains poorly understood. In this talk, Professor Philip Slavin re-examines the pandemic’s first wave, from 1338 to 1353, by bringing together historical evidence, palaeogenetics, archaeological, and palaeo-ecological perspectives. Rather than treating the plague as a simple east-to-west invasion, Prof Slavin investigates the complex interactions between its causative agent Yersinia pestis, rodent populations, climate, and human mobility. By tracing plague trajectories from Central Asia through the Middle East and into Europe, the talk will identify the mechanisms underlying the pandemic’s extraordinary geographical reach.

In addition, Prof Slavin will address how in its course, the Black Death seeded local plague reservoirs across Eurasia, ultimately asking how environmental change, animal hosts, and human societies combined to transform a regional pathogen into a global pandemic, reshaping populations and societies across the Old World.

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Professor Philip Slavin

Philip Slavin is a Professor at the University of Stirling. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto,has previously taught at Yale University, McGill University and the University of Kent. Rather than seeing himself as a historian in the ‘traditional’ sense, he views himself as a scientist of the past, whose methodology is inherently trans-disciplinary.

He has studied the research techniques, methodological approaches and conceptual theories of scientific disciplines that enhance our understanding of the past. These include palaeogenetics, palaeoepidemiology, palaeoclimatology, stable isotope analysis, archaeology, statistics, and GIS. He works hard to engage with palaeo-scientists in trans-disciplinary collaboration in scientific research, to construct and advance an innovative methodology and vision, to guide both humanists and scientists in their current and future research endeavour.

Prof Slavin’s research interests fall into two main fields. Firstly, he is interested in the history of natural environment, economy, health and society of pre-Industrial Eurasia and in the intersection of these ‘four great pillars’ of history. In particular, in the following historical topics: (1) infectious diseases (especially plague!); (2) environmental disasters; (3) food (in)security and famines. Secondly, in recent years he has expanded his interests in these topics to a global ‘deep history’ perspective, all the way from early hunters-gatherers to our contemporary world.

He has written two books and published (as a sole and co-author) 65 journal articles and book chapters on topics related to environmental, economic, social and global history.

Along with three colleagues he holds a major six-year ERC Synergy/UKRI-funded research grant entitled Plague Synergy, a highly multi-disciplinary project to bring our understanding of plague – past and present – to new heights.

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Free for students (student card required), under 18s (ID card required), accompanying carers and RCPE Fellows or Members.

Please email library@rcpe.ac.uk if you are a student, under 18, accompanying carer, RCPE Fellow or Member and would like to be added to the attendee list.

Refund Information: Please note that a non-refundable 89p booking charge is included in your ticket price is. This is part of the Eventbrite terms and conditions and is not at the discretion of the Physicians’ Gallery.

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