5 The Archaeology of “Plague”

Abstract

Researchers from a wide array of disciplines have investigated ancient “plagues”, from fields as diverse as microbiology, ancient history, epidemiology, zoology, palaeopathology and archaeology, both independently from each other or in collaborative multidisciplinary teams. This paper aims to discuss the role of archaeology within such investigations and, perhaps more significantly, to highlight some of the limitations of the archaeological data on which many such studies are based. Non-archaeologists may not fully appreciate these limitations, as archaeology invariably operates under the constraints of an incomplete, biased, poorly preserved and often problematic sample. Only once these limitations are taken into account can the archaeological record be used to its “full” potential. Applying scientific methods to, and developing elaborate theories from, archaeological material without taking such shortcomings into account can seriously affect academic validity. Nonetheless, archaeology has a role to play in the study of ancient “plagues”. Archaeological methods from a wide range of sub-disciplines can offer additional or alternative avenues of research that may help us identify and understand the diseases behind ancient “plagues”. The Black Death burial site at East Smithfield, London, will provide a background to the discussion.1