Medieval Eyeglasses: Wearable Technology of the Thirteenth Century
It’s a common misconception that medieval minds regarded every little gadget with superstition and fear. Like us, medieval people loved wearable tech, and adapted useful gear – like sundials – to take with them on the go. In the thirteenth-century, Europeans were keen to get on board with the latest high-tech gadget to come out of Italy: eyeglasses.
Friendship, Betrayal, War: “Soldier of God” Movie Review
A Templar and a Muslim; their strange friendship is the premise of this week’s movie based in the 12th century immediately after the disastrous Battle of Hattin.
The Historicity of Imperial Bride-Shows
Seven independent Byzantine sources record that five times in the eighth and ninth centuries the winner in a competition of beautiful women became the bride of an emperor or future emperor.
Harold Godwinson in Wales: Military Legitimacy in Late Anglo-Saxon England
On January 6, 1066, Harold Godwinson ascended the throne of England. He succeeded King Edward the Confessor who had died after reigning for twenty-three years over the English people.
Historical evolution of forest management in Europe and in Japan
This paper describes in brief the historical evolution of forest management in Europe and in Japan and the motivations of these changes. In particular, the paper analyses three periods: pre-industrial (from the Middle-ages until the mid-17th century), industrial (from the mid-17th until the mid-20th century) and the post-industrial period (from the late-20th century until today)
Nunneries as an Alternative to Marriage
Nunneries as an Alternative to Marriage By Cornelius Oudenaarden The Endnote, Vol.2 (2005) Introduction: The first particular saith that you shall be obedient:…
The Associative Branches of the Irish Barnacle: Gerald of Wales and the Natural World
There are many birds here that are called barnacles, which nature, acting against her own laws, produces in a wonderful way.
New Online Resource: The Registers of the Archbishops of York
Over 10,000 folios from the medieval Registers from the Archbishops of York have been been digitized and published by online by the University of York. This website – York’s Archbishops Registers Revealed – makes available one of the most important collections of historical materials related to England’s ecclesiastical history.
The Silk Roads: Questioning the Eurocentric View of History
Dr Peter Frankopan is a historian at Oxford University, where he is a Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College, Oxford and Director of the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research. During this lecture he will talk about his best selling book The Silk Roads.
Anglo-Saxon island discovered
The remains of an Anglo-Saxon island have been uncovered in one of the most important archaeological finds in decades.
Infertility in the Middle Ages
For medieval people, success meant succession. Heredity was at the centre of law and order, from the king down through the ranks of society. As a result, the moment children reached marriageable age – and sometimes even before that – everyone’s focus was on their fertility.
Early Medieval Muslim Graves in France: First Archaeological, Anthropological and Palaeogenomic Evidence
Given all of these data, we propose that the skeletons from the Nimes burials belonged to Berbers integrated into the Umayyad army during the Arab expansion in North Africa.
The Medieval Magazine: Anglo-Saxon England (Volume 2 Issue 5)
We take a look at Anglo-Saxon England this week, including a Mercian Queen, and what happened to Britain’s plants and animals when Roman rule collapsed.
Ingroup identification, identity fusion and the formation of Viking war bands
The lið, a retinue of warriors sworn to a leader, has long been considered one of the basic armed groups of the Viking Age.
BOOK REVIEW – London: A Travel Guide Through Time by Dr. Matthew Green
Love London? Then you will love this book. A fascinating trek through time looking the pivotal moments in London’s history.