It is estimated that 25 million people died when the Black Death pandemic ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages.
Proportionally, that's a greater toll of life than any other known epidemic.
But beyond the horror stories, there are lessons in how people adapted then reshaped their societies.
Bioarcheologist Professor Rebecca Gowland has been studying the Black Death and is in Wellington this week presenting about how understanding the past can help us prepare for the future.
