By: Jessie Sha

Now, before we get into where it came from, first we need to ask, what is the Black Death? The Black Death is a disease caused by a bacterium that is carried by fleas that make homes on rodents. Its name comes from the dark black spots that appear on the victims that contract this illness. This disease is deadly and causes swelling in the armpits that could grow up to the size of an apple. This became known as “signs of impending death.” It is even best known as one of the deadliest epidemics in the world.

While the birthplace of the Black Death is still undecided, recently researchers have reported that the answer may lie in the pulp of teeth from people buried in the 14th century. Researchers say that it arrived in 1338 or 1339 near Issyk-Kul, a lake near west China. It started out small, but once it reached Eurasia, it killed 60% of the population. Later, in 1886 an archaeologist found dead victims buried in 1338. They also found a headstone that was written in the 14th century which was before the Black Death had arrived in Europe. This caught the attention of many researchers because the death rate over the next few years grew dramatically. The Black Death is still a mystery to everyone.