Back to Show
Secrets of the Dead
Mystery of the Black Death
Season 3
Episode 2
In 1665, a British tailor opened a flea-infested shipment of fabric from London. In a matter of days, the tailor and much of the village were suffering the telltale signs of bubonic plague, the disease that wiped out a third of the European population. 350 years later, an American geneticist is delving into the reasons why some managed to survive the Black Death while others were not so lucky.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

Unlock with PBS Passport
54:25
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the post-war life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.

Unlock with PBS Passport
54:50
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.

Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Priceless artifacts in Laos reveal holy sites from the early days of the Khmer Empire.

Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
The discovery of priceless artifacts in Laos sheds light on the ancient Khmer Empire.

Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Uncover the mystery behind the discovery of more than 50 "vampire" burials.

Unlock with PBS Passport
55:23
A search for the remains of Black Union soldiers murdered toward the end of the Civil War.

Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Scientists attempt to read ancient scrolls carbonized by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Learn the untold story of Maria Anna Mozart, Wolfgang’s older sister and collaborator.

Unlock with PBS Passport
54:45
Archaeologists search for Assyrian artifacts that survived the Isis occupation of Mosul.

Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Find out if the 15th-century murder of two princes in the Tower of London can be solved.

Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Uncover the only evidence of crucifixion in Roman-occupied Britain.

Unlock with PBS Passport
54:45
Discover the untold story of Paris’ most famous landmark and the race to top 1,000 feet.