Pigment and parchment at Penn
University of Pennsylvania students pair with visiting scholars to paint illustrations like those in centuries-old illuminated manuscripts.
Rare Japanese medieval documents discovered
In total, the boxes purchased contained 119 separate documents, 55 of which were written between 1308 and 1615.
Historian discovers earliest evidence of a Scottish ship sailing to North America
An entry in a late sixteenth-century register has revealed that a ship known as “William” of Aberdeen made a voyage to “the new fund land” (Newfoundland) in 1596
Artful Words: Calligraphy in Illuminated Manuscripts begins this month at the Getty
The J. Paul Getty Museum is hosting a new exhibition starting this month that showcases the medieval word.
Medieval whisky still discovered in Scotland
A medieval structure, believed to be the remains of one of the oldest whisky stills ever discovered, has been unearthed at Lindores Abbey.…
900-year-old treasure hoard discovered in Caesarea
The Israeli Antiquities Authority has announced the discovery of a medieval treasure hoard, consisting of a small bronze pot holding 24 gold coins and a gold earring.
After 65 years, report on Scottish castle excavation published
65 years ago Brian Hope-Taylor led an archaeological excavation of a motte-and-bailey castle in southwestern Scotland. The report on that research has just been published.
London archaeologists discover medieval skeleton with his boots still on
Archaeologists working along the River Thames in London have discovered the remains of a late-medieval man, still wearing thigh-high leather boots.
Fur trade may have spread the Black Death through Europe, study finds
Commercial trade routes, including the fur trade routes, would have contributed to the rapid spread of the Black Death and other epidemics throughout Europe.
What does ice from the Alps tell us about coins in the 7th century?
A new study has found ground-breaking evidence from an ice core in the Swiss-Italian Alps that proves the 7th century switch from gold to silver currencies in western Europe actually occurred a quarter of a century earlier than previously thought.
Digital map reveals medieval London’s homicide ‘hot spots’
First digital map of the murders recorded by the city’s Coroner in early 1300s shows Cheapside and Cornhill were homicide ‘hot spots’, and Sundays held the highest risk of violent death for medieval Londoners.
Anglo-Saxon cemetery discovered
Archaeologists from the University of Sheffield have uncovered a previously unknown Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
Archaeological project reveals new insights on world’s first cathedral
An international team of archaeologists has revealed new insights into the history of Rome following years of work under the Archbasilica of St John Lateran in Rome.
Staffordshire Hoard helmet reconstructions revealed
After spending years studying hundreds of fragments and then using both cutting-edge technology and ancient craft techniques, two reconstructions have been made of the magnificent helmet contained within the Staffordshire Hoard.
Domesday Book was completed much later than 1087, historian finds
Symes makes the case in the journal Speculum that the final “Great Domesday Book” came years and perhaps decades later than the 1087 date to which it’s attributed
Medieval St Paul’s Cathedral of London to be rebuilt virtually
When the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the city in 1666, one of the greatest losses was St. Paul’s Cathedral. A new project is now set to launch that will allow visitors to once again explore this medieval landmark in virtual form.
People were healthier in the Early Middle Ages than in later centuries, study finds
The Early Middle Ages, from the 5th to the 10th centuries, is often derided as the ‘Dark Ages’. But a new study suggests that the middle and lower classes were healthier than their descendants in later centuries – even as late as the 19th-century industrial age.
New book examines the medieval slave trade in Russia
While the slave trade collapsed in medieval Western Europe following the emergence of sovereign monarchies, territorial states and their rule of law, the situation in Russia was very different.
Norse World – new database on medieval Scandinavian literature goes online
A new online database that will make it easier for researchers to study Medieval Scandinavian literature was launched today.
How fern plants were used as medicine in medieval Europe
The remains of a medieval skeleton has shown the first physical evidence that a fern plant could have been used for medicinal purposes in cases such as alopecia, dandruff and kidney stones
Pictish stone symbols date back hundreds of years earlier than first believed, study shows
“Our dating reveals that the symbol system is likely to date from the third-fourth century AD and from an earlier period than many scholars had assumed.”
Historian examines the complex networks of empires
Connecting axes tend to be more important than centers: what is true of many contemporary networks is also the case for social and geographical links in antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Archaeologists track the ancient and medieval times of a Middle Eastern town
German archaeologists exploring the remains of a town in Turkey have revealed how the city flourished about 1800 years ago, and then had a revival in the early Middle Ages.
Last traditional medieval manor on sale for £7 million
It’s more than just 1,845 acre, with 17 farmsteads and a pub – Laxton is the last remaining example of a medieval Open Field System and Court Leet.
