10th century find points to medieval sea routes around Ibiza
A bronze candelabra discovered by a diver in Ibiza in the 1970s is offering clues to the maritime history of this region.
Arctic encounters between Norse and Natives
Contact between the Norse and Native peoples in Canada’s Arctic was more extensive and earlier than first believed, according to recent archaeological evidence.
800-year-old castle torn down in Ireland
Coolbanagher Castle has been completely demolished last week after storms in February led local officials to condemn the site as unsafe.
Medieval murder uncovered in Scotland
Archaeologists working in southeastern Scotland have made a grisly discovery – the remains of a young man from the 12th or 13th century, who was murdered with multiple stab wounds in his back.
What does a 500-year-old song found on a butt in hell sound like?
If one looks closely at the famous painting, The Garden of Earthly Delights, created by Hieronymous Bosch around the year 1500, you can find many strange images. This includes a scene in hell where someone has musical notes on their butt. Now, a student has deciphered what this music sounded like.
Voynich Manuscript partially decoded, text is not a hoax, scholar finds
A Professor in Applied Linguistics believes he has decoded a few words from the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, a 600-year old work that has baffled scholars for the last hundred years.
When Urine is like Snot – Middle English Uroscopy Texts
People in late medieval England were concerned about their health, and like their modern-day counterparts they might turn to self-help guides. One of the most popular ways to do this in the Late Middle Ages would be to analyze your own urine.
Medieval Mass Grave discovered underneath the Uffizi Gallery in Florence
Workers doing renovations at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy have uncovered what seems to be the remains of a mass grave from the fifth-century AD.
Genomes of Richard III to be sequenced
A scientist at the University of Leicester is leading a project to reveal the complete genetic profile of Richard III, which will reveal details such as eye and hair colour, and if he was genetically-disposed to certain diseases.
How cutting off a horse’s tail was a big insult in the Middle Ages
Want to humiliate your adversary? Attacking his horse and cutting off its tail was the preferred method, according to a recent article.
Remains of Blanche Mortimer discovered in lead coffin
The discovery of a body inside a church memorial has caused amazement in the world of archaeology and surprised experts.
Did a Megadrought force the Huns to invade Europe?
The worst megadrought in the last 2000 years hit Central Asia around 360 AD, new study finds
Medieval Museum in Waterford wins awards
Congratulations to the Waterford Medieval Museum for winning ‘Best Heritage Project’ and ‘Best Public Building’ from the Local Authority Members Awards
Black Death and Justinian’s Plague were caused by the same pathogen, scientists find
Two of the world’s deadliest pandemics – Justinian’s Plague and the Black Death – were caused by the same pathogen. These findings were revealed yesterday in an article published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The St Albans Psalter now online
The St Albans Psalter, one of the most impressive medieval manuscripts created in twelfth-century England, has been digitized and is now available to view for free online.
Byzantine Church and Mosaic discovered in Israel
Archaeologists working for the Israel Antiquities Authority have uncovered the remains of a 1500 year old Byzantine church south of Tel Aviv. It includes a large mosaic and inscriptions in Greek.
Ten papers to look forward to at KZoo 2014
The schedule for the 49th International Congress on Medieval Studies, which will be held at Western Michigan University from May 8-11, 2014 has now been released.
Dungeons, but no dragons: new video game wants to give a realistic portrayal of the Middle Ages
A group of Czech video game makers have already raised over £430,000 on Kickstarter to create Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a RPG that will allow players to quest and fight in a more historically-realistic medieval world.
Lactose Intolerance in the Middle Ages
New research suggests that medieval people had a similar level of lactose intolerance as modern day people, meaning they could drink milk and eat yogurt and cheese without problems.
The Rise of the French Language in Medieval Europe
A free exhibition, The Moving Word: French Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge, begins today at Cambridge University Library.
Do you want to take part in the Swaledale Big Dig?
Archaeology enthusiasts in Swaledale are finalising plans for their biggest challenge to date – a two-year community project to help dales folk search for clues to medieval and ancient history in their own back yards.
Wellcome Trust puts over 100,000 images online
The Wellcome Trust, a leading British health organization, has created an online database of over 100 000 historical images, including many from the Middle Ages.
Alfred the Great or Edward the Elder? Pelvic bone ‘most likely’ belongs to Anglo-Saxon King
Researchers believe that a pelvic found discovered over fifteen years ago belongs to an English king: either Alfred the Great or his son Edward the Elder.
Who should own this medieval treasure?
The ownership of a collection of medieval treasures worth an estimated $250 million (US) will soon be decided. They will either remain with with a German museum or go to a group of descendants of Jewish art dealers who sold the collection in 1935.
A 19th century painting of King Richard III
The University of Leicester has acquired a 19th century painting of King Richard III on horseback outside the Blue Boar Inn in Leicester.