00:00 The Black Death, a wave of bubonic plague that struck Europe and the Middle East between 1346 and 1353, killed between 50 and 70% of the population, making it one of the great tragedies in human history.

05:26 The Black Death was a fundamental turning point in history, as it played a major role in accelerating economic changes and causing a significant demographic shift in Europe, ultimately leading to the continent's divergence from the rest of the world.

10:24 The Black Death was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which was responsible for both the Justinian plague and the Black Death, and recent discoveries through ancient DNA confirm this.

15:14 Plague is primarily spread through infected fleas that live on prairie dogs and rats, and it can cause primary bacteremic plague, bubonic plague, or secondary bacteremic plague, with the latter being always fatal; if the bacteria gets into the lungs, it can be spread through coughing and is also fatal, and the widespread presence of rats and their fleas contributed to the devastating effects of the Black Death in Europe in the 14th century.

20:12 The historian Bruce Campbell argues that the expansion of the natural habitat of rodents carrying fleas infected with plague due to wetter, cooler weather in Central Asia was the direct cause of the Black Death in Europe, but Professor Monica Green argues that the spread of plague can be explained by the interconnected empire of the Mongols, which created conditions for trade and movement of people, and by the 1340s, the disease was already established in Mongol-controlled territories and had made its way to China.

25:06 The Black Death spread from Constantinople to various trade routes and ports, including Alexandria, Palestine, Syria, and North Africa, and then made its way to major Mediterranean ports such as Venice, Genoa, and Marseille, before spreading to rural areas through infected fleas on rats and grain.

30:14 The Black Death spread rapidly from various ports and cities in Europe, affecting both urban and rural areas, and by the end of 1351, tens of millions of people had died, making it one of the greatest disasters in human history.

36:08 The Black Death caused a decline in population of around 60% in Europe, with some areas experiencing death rates as high as 70%.

41:12 During the Black Death, society began to fray as people abandoned and neglected their loved ones, but burials continued in adapted forms such as mass graves and carefully placed bodies in shrouds or coffins to provide dignity and order in the midst of the unimaginable social stress.

46:09 Even in the midst of the Black Death, there were instances of social cohesion as evidenced by families gathering to witness and participate in the making of wills, but there were also cracks in society such as hedonism, blaming the Jews, and the rise of flagellants who engaged in public acts of penitence.

50:58 The Black Death not only caused millions of deaths from the plague itself, but also led to a severe labor shortage, crop failure, and economic shocks, resulting in a new demographic regime and a transitional world in medieval Europe.