The Shroud of Turin was in the Byzantine Empire before 1204 AD, researchers suggest
Could the Shroud of Turin have been displayed in the Byzantine Empire before the thirteenth-century? A pair of Italian scholars suggest so, basing their theory on micro-particles of gold found on the famous cloth
Medieval PhD Dissertation turned into comic
A doctoral student at the University of Iceland has recreated his dissertation in a novel way – by making it into a comic.
Call for Papers: Writing Contest on the History of Blood
Hektoen international is an online journal of medical humanities and invites you to send an essay of under 1600 words on the subject of blood.
Open call for a Workshop: “Dialogues in the Late Medieval Mediterranean: Methodological Encounters and (Dis)Encounters
The COST Action “Islamic Legacy: Narratives East, West, South, North of the Mediterranean (1350-1750)” [CA 18129] is launching the first call for a training school entitled “ISLAMIC HERITAGE IN EUROPE”.
Norse arrival on Iceland led to extinction of its walrus population, study finds
A team of researchers have shown that soon after the Norse arrived in Iceland, that island’s species of walrus went extinct.
How to make medieval soap
A detailed recipe for making white soap from fourteenth-century England.
Archaeologists discover medieval man ‘broken on the wheel’
An archaeological dig in Milan has uncovered the remains of a young man who suffered massive injuries, likely caused by torture and execution while being ‘broken on wheel’.
How Richard the Lionheart Got His Name (The epic version)
As historical figures go, Richard’s life had everything a storyteller could want. And yet, it wasn’t epic enough.
Diplomacy, bribery, trickery and ‘other means’: Defending the Byzantine Empire
I will try to figure out the delicate equilibrium between the appetite of the Byzantines for war, and their willingness to negotiate by ‘other means’, i.e diplomacy, or the employment of stratagems, craft, and bribery.
Two medieval textile exhibitions open in Washington D.C.
Dumbarton Oaks Museum and the George Washington University Museum, both in Washington D.C., have open new exhibitions that look at fashion, clothing and textiles from the medieval world.
Medieval Manuscripts: The Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux
The personal prayer book of Jeanne d’Evreux, Queen consort of France and Navarre, did not just provide spiritual support to the King’s wife: it is also a masterpiece of Gothic illumination. Let’s take a peek at some of its features in this video by Facsimile Finder.
How to Read Old Nubian?
This question may be more difficult to answer than initially appears. How is it possible to revive knowledge of a language than hasn’t been spoken over centuries, and to write its grammar today?
Mægð Modigre or Þeodnes Mægð: Judith’s Heroism in the Anonymous Anglo-Saxon Judith
The Old English Judith tells the story of a Jewish virgin whose people, the Bethulians, are subjugated under the Assyrian King Holofernes by the orders of the great King Nebuchadnezzar.
Did Henbane make Berserkers go Berserk?
A new study on the legendary Viking warriors known as berserkers suggests that they were able to achieve their battle trances and ferocity through the use of henbane.
Whetstones lead to new theory on why the Viking Age began
New article argues the Vikings were pushed out of Scandinavia and had to attack raid lands such as the British Isles, since they were prevented from attacking targets closer to home.
Spectacular discoveries made during excavation of 15th century warship
The wreck of a fifteenth century warship has been excavated on the seabed of the Baltic Sea off the coast of southern Sweden. Among the items found has been an early firearm and a beautifully formed drinking tankard, with a crown-like engraving.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
It may be the most famous medieval movie of all time. This week, Danièle talks with Peter Konieczny about Monty Python and the Holy Grail, its legacy, and some of their favourite moments.
All in one Boat: The Vikings as European and Global Heritage
This paper presents a survey of contexts and places where Vikings are currently highlighted as a European cultural heritage, and discusses how this heritage is presented, and why so.
Black Death burials reveal the diversity of London’s medieval population
New research on people buried in London during the Black Death suggests that the city’s population was more diverse than currently believed, including the presence of people with African heritage.
Memories of migration? The ‘Anglo-Saxon’ burial costume of the fifth century AD
It is often claimed that the mortuary traditions that appeared in lowland Britain in the fifth century AD are an expression of new forms of ethnic identity, based on the putative memorialisation of a ‘Germanic’ heritage.
Augustine in print: leaving the Middle Ages behind?
Does the reception of Augustine fundamentally change when it is no longer the scribe, but the printer who holds the reins?
Medieval Reads: The Hound and the Falcon Trilogy, by Judith Tarr
What is so special about the Medievalist trilogy?
The Earliest Wave of Viking Activity? The Norwegian Evidence Revisited
It is argued that the first recorded Viking attacks were only possible after a phase in which Norse seafarers had acquired the necessarily level of a priori environmental knowledge needed to move in new seascapes and coastal environments.
How well do you know these Viking-age artefacts?
We have many remains from the Viking-age that offer insights into the Norse world. Here are ten artefacts – do you know what they are?
