Which of the following was NOT listed as one of the four main reasons for death in the Medieval period?

• A. Famine
• B. Poverty
• C. Plague
• D. Warfare

Answer: (C)

In medieval mortality, historians often group the main reasons people died into four broad pressures on life: famine, poverty, disease, and warfare. Famine leads to malnutrition and weakness; poverty reflects poor living conditions and limited access to resources; warfare disrupts communities and crops; disease covers illnesses in general, including epidemics. Plague is a specific disease, an example within the broader category of disease, rather than a separate overarching cause. Because of that framing, plague isn’t listed as one of the four main categories, making it the correct choice for “NOT listed.” The other options—famine, poverty, and warfare—are the broad categories used.