The notorious plague outbreak known as the Black Death was one of the most epic mass casualty events in human history, as it may have killed off up to one-third of the European population in the 14th century. But if a new study just released by a team of researchers from Denmark and Sweden is correct, this was not the first time that the black plague rampaged through the European countryside to cause a catastrophic loss of life. Based on an analysis of recovered DNA samples from skeletons that were buried approximately 5,000 years ago in Scandinavia, genetic experts from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden determined that the plague was common in the region at that time. As it so happens there was a Neolithic population crash in northwestern Europe between the years 5,300 and 4,900, and the researchers involved in the new study believe they may have found the explanation. While other scientists have suggested that disease might have played a role in that rapid and prolonged Neolithic period population decline, this is the first time real evidence has been provided to support this theory. Read moreSection: NewsEvolution & Human OriginsHistoryImportant EventsRead Later