Ancient Volcanic Eruption May Have Triggered the Black Death, Study Suggests

Scientists may have solved a key mystery of the Black Death: how the deadly plague reached Medieval Europe. New research points to a massive, forgotten volcanic eruption as the catalyst. The Black Death killed tens of millions in Europe in the mid-1300s. Historians know the disease spread from Asia, but the exact trigger for its westward push was unclear. Two German researchers now propose a climatic cause. They argue a colossal volcanic eruption, possibly in the late 1330s, drastically cooled the climate in Central Asia. This "volcanic winter" stressed rodent populations in the region that carried the plague bacterium. As these animals searched for food, they came into closer contact with human trade caravans and their black rats. The disease then traveled west along the Silk Road, reaching Europe by 1347. While the specific volcano remains unidentified, the study links a major climate shock to the pandemic's origins, offering a new explanation for history's deadliest plague.