Medievalists.net

Want to know what a medieval conference is like? Our correspondent, Danielle Trynsoki, attended the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America, which was held this month in Los Angeles, California. She reports back about the papers, the people and the food at one of this year’s most important events for medievalists.

The ‘Family Names of the United Kingdom Project’, which is being carried out by a team at University of the West of England – Bristol, has reached a key milestone with the completion of the first phase of the database with 45,000 surnames researched and explained.

An impressive Byzantine monastery dating to the late sixth-century has been discovered in the northern part of the Negev Desert in Israel.

Archaeologists in Ireland have discovered the remains of boats dating back to the Bronze and Iron Age, including one from the 11th century that may have belonged to Viking raiders.

Here is our quiz on the First Crusade. Eight questions to test how well you know some of the key people and events of the 11th century invasion of the Holy Land.

The first major exhibition on Vikings at the British Museum for over 30 years which opened on 6 March in London highlights a new research project by Viking experts at The University of Nottingham.

This year marks the 1000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf, one of the most important events in Irish history.

A report released earlier this month has revealed the ways medieval pilgrims would travel to the one of Scotland’s most holiest sites.

‘To be a bishop during this time was to be a leader who might crown kings or provoke a rebellion. So the question we’re asking is, if you wanted to become a bishop, who did you need to know?’

Try our quiz – do you know your kings of medieval England?