24:35 - 29:25
4m 50s
Medieval cities are full of rats and therefore full of fleas. These fleas can carry yersinia pestis, a bacteria believed to be one of the sources of the Black Death in the form of Bubonic plague Infections in the lung could cause pneumonic plague. Scientists still debate the source of the Black Death as the shear speed and scale of the devastation is difficult to attribute to Bubonic plague. Cutting edge investigations, including examinations of DNA in tooth pulp, continue.
Video Transcript
Related Clips
Lord Phillip and William, who is impersonating Sir Ector, participates in a jousting competition. William wins the competition and gets a gold leaf as a prize.
Geoffrey Chaucer introduces William to the crowd with a fake story of William's origins before William participates in a jousting competition.
William, a squire, is publically punished for impersonating his master, Sir Ector, in jousting competitions. He is placed in a pillory and food is thrown at him. Prince Edward, who William befriended during his jousting competitions, orders the guards to take him out of the pillory and knights him as "Sir William".
Sir Ector's squires realize he is dead after almost winning the entire jousting competition. William decides to impersonate Sir Ector even though he is a peasant and does not have noble status.
Explores the architecture and building processes, as they are being rediscovered, of Gothic Cathedrals in the Middle Ages.