Black Death Blues
Jun. 21st, 2011 05:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
steepholmFor years, I heard and saw quoted the statistic that the Black Death had wiped out one third of the population of Europe. I don't know how that figure was arrived at, but had no particular reason to doubt it.
Now, twice within the last month I've heard it said (with confidence and in a plonking "Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia" tone) that the Black Death killed half the people in Europe.
Does anyone know when and why this change occured? Do they now think more people died, or that the population was less than previously believed - or both?
Now, twice within the last month I've heard it said (with confidence and in a plonking "Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia" tone) that the Black Death killed half the people in Europe.
Does anyone know when and why this change occured? Do they now think more people died, or that the population was less than previously believed - or both?