Gunnar Heinsohn: Tenth Century Collapse

Mostly within the last fifteen years, many North and East European regions – stretching from Norway via the Baltic to the Black Sea – have been researched for traces of the vast wipeout of the 930s (give or take a decade). The depopulations have been as severe as in areas tied to the 3rd or the 6th c. plagues. Yet, written sources pointing to the causes or consequences of the 10th c. mass deaths appear to be missing entirely. That is surprising because the events are much closer in time to us than the 3rd and 6th c. disasters for which written sources are available. However, there appears to be evidence for a major outbreak of y.pestis-plague peaking at the end of the  “733–960 AD” time span...