Archaeology and History of the Black Death



Overview

The Black Death was the most deadly pandemic in historic times. This course will start by looking at earlier plagues in the Greek and Roman world, how they started, their impact and how they were perceived by contemporaries.

We now have much more information about the Black Death that hit Europe in the 1340's and we will look at at how and where it started, as well as how it spread throughout the known world, how different cultures responded to it and its short- and long-term consequences.

Particular attention will be paid to the economic impact of the Black Death in Britain, such as how the rural economy changed from being largely a subsistence activity to a concentration on cash products, notably wool. We will also examine how urban life was affected and how towns changed in the later Middle Ages. The course will conclude with an examination of later pandemics and how they differed in character from the Black Death.

There will be a field trip to local sites in Oxfordshire, which reflect the short and long-term consequences of the Great Medieval Plague.

Programme details

Courses starts: 20 Sep 2023

Please note: there will be no class on 4 October or 11 October.

Week 1: The prehistory and history of worldwide pandemics

Week 2: The nature, origins and spread of the Black Death

Week 3: The Black Death in Europe

Week 4: Case Studies - Florence and Venice

Week 5: The Plague hits Britain, 1348/9

Week 6: Field trip to a deserted village and other sites related to the Black Death in Oxfordshire

Week 7: The short term consequences of the Black Death

Week 8: The long term impact of the plague on rural and urban society

Week 9: The Black Death and its impact on culture

Week 10: Later pandemics up to the outbreak of Covid 19 in 2020

Certification

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Mr Trevor Rowley

Trevor Rowley MA, MLitt, FSA, was formerly Deputy Director in the Department for Continuing Education and before that Director of Archaeology in the Department. He is now an Emeritus Fellow of Kellogg College and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He has published many books on landscape history and the Normans, most recently a biography of William the Conqueror’s half-brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, and an examination of the landscape of the Bayeux Tapestry. His most recent book, 'Landscapes of the Norman Conquest', was published at the end of 2022. 

Course aims

To understand the character and consequences of historic pandemics

Course objectives: 

  • To gain an outline knowledge of the prehistory and history of pandemics.
  • To understand how diverse communities reacted to the arrival of the plague.
  • To have knowledge of the short and long-term consequences of the Black Death to society, economics and culture.

Teaching methods

Tuition will be in the form of seminar presentations, discussion groups. Individual presentations and fieldwork.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • have an outline understanding of the causes and development and impact of the Black Death;
  • understand the nature of reactions to plague and the short and longterm consequences of the Black Death;
  • understand the similarities and differences between different pandemics.

Assessment methods

Students will be required to write 1500 words on an aspect of the Black Death or earlier pandemics, of their own choice, involving their own reading. They will be encouraged to compare the reaction and consequences of different societies.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support