Black Death skeletons unearthed by Crossrail project [View all]

[dipsydoodle]

Skeletons unearthed in London Crossrail excavations are Black Death victims from the great pandemic of the 14th Century, forensic tests indicate.

Their teeth contain DNA from the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis and their graves have been dated to 1348-50.

Records say thousands of Londoners perished and their corpses were dumped in a mass grave outside the City, but its exact location was a mystery.

Archaeologists now believe it is under Charterhouse Square near the Barbican.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26770334