Can You Solve These Medieval Labyrinths?
Explore a dozen medieval manuscript labyrinths and uncover surprising facts about their origins, meanings, and hidden designs. Can you find your way through?
British Library Acquires Five Rare Medieval Manuscripts
The British Library has acquired five rare medieval manuscripts from Longleat House, offering new insights into Jewish-Christian relations, civic life, theology, and devotion in the Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: The Magic Books
Medieval people were interested in accessing secret knowledge like magic, divination and astrology. This book examines over 20 works from the period that deals with these topics, revealing what they say (and what they show) about these topics.
New Medieval Books: History in Flames
Many medieval materials survived for centuries, only to be lost in more recent times to war and violence. This book tells the story of some of Europe’s most important collections that have since vanished.
Magna Carta at Harvard dates to the Year 1300, historians find
Detailed comparison and imaging techniques confirm Harvard manuscript as one of seven surviving versions from Edward I’s 1300 issue.
Symbols and Signs: Getty Exhibition Explores Medieval Manuscript Codes
The Getty Museum’s new exhibition, Symbols and Signs: Decoding Medieval Manuscripts, explores the visual and textual codes used by medieval scribes and artists. On view May 20 to August 10, 2025.
Scribes, Not Just Authors: New Study Uncovers Editorial Brilliance in Medieval Syriac Manuscripts
A new study analyzes nearly 1,000 Syriac manuscripts using digital tools to reveal how scribes shaped literary culture through excerpting—introducing a new metric, Excerpts Per Manuscript (EPM), to map editorial practices across time and genre.
Medieval Bible Reveals Secrets of Parchment-Making, Study Finds
A new study reveals how the skins used to make the 13th-century Hamburg Bible preserve scars, stitches, and even signatures from medieval parchment-makers—offering a detailed look at manuscript production through the lens of biocodicology.
Medieval Manuscripts Were Bound in Seal Skin, New Study Finds
New research reveals that Cistercian manuscripts from the 12th and 13th centuries were bound in seal skin sourced from Scandinavia and Greenland, uncovering unexpected links between monastic book production and Norse trade networks.
Medieval Merlin Manuscript Fragment Revealed Through Digital Unfolding
A rare 13th-century manuscript fragment of Merlin and King Arthur has been rediscovered in a 16th-century book binding at Cambridge University Library and digitally revealed using advanced imaging techniques.
Magic in Medieval Manuscripts: A Beginner’s Guide
Far from being hidden and marginalised, magical texts abound in medieval manuscripts, many embellished with beautiful illustrations and sparkling with gold.
10 Famous Forgeries from the Middle Ages
Medieval history is full of secrets—and some of its most influential documents were outright fakes. From forged royal charters to fabricated letters from mythical kings, here are 10 famous forgeries that reshaped the Middle Ages.
20 Essential Tools of a Medieval Scribe
From ink-stained fingers to feline assistants, medieval scribes relied on an eclectic mix of tools to craft their manuscripts—some practical, some unexpected.
Over 110,000 Medieval Manuscripts May Have Been Copied by Women
A new study reveals medieval women copied over 110,000 manuscripts—far more than once believed.
Medieval Bible Returns to Salisbury Cathedral After Nearly 800 Years
The Sarum Master Bible, a rare and exquisitely illuminated 13th-century manuscript, has returned to Salisbury Cathedral in England nearly 800 years after it was created.
Rare Medieval Manuscripts Take Center Stage at TEFAF Maastricht 2025
Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books returns to TEFAF Maastricht this year with a dazzling selection of illuminated manuscripts and miniatures, offering a glimpse into some of the finest medieval and Renaissance book art.
Rare Medieval Scroll Discovered
A rare medieval scroll has been uncovered in the archives of Bar Convent in York, England, revealing new insights into devotional practices.
Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry to Be Displayed in a Rare Landmark Exhibition
The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, one of the great illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, will take centre stage in a landmark exhibition at the Château de Chantilly, just north of Paris.
Exploring the Medieval World Through Illuminated Manuscripts at the Morgan Library
The Morgan Library & Museum has unveiled an extraordinary exhibition, The Book of Marvels: Imagining the Medieval World, running from January 24 through May 25, 2025.
Searching for hidden medieval stories from the island of the Sagas
Hidden and forgotten traces of Iceland’s history can be found in medieval, reused parchments.
Cultural Representations of Warfare in the High Middle Ages: The Morgan Picture Bible
The Morgan Picture Bible is more than a mid-13th-century masterpiece of art; it is a vivid and, at times, exaggerated lens into how medieval nobles envisioned warfare.
5 Surprising Places Medieval Manuscripts Were Found
For those fortunate enough to have stumbled upon medieval manuscripts, some discoveries have come from unexpected places. Here are my top five most peculiar spots where these medieval and ancient texts have been found.
King Otto I’s Tribute to Queen Edith Re-Dated After New Analysis
A tribute from King Otto I of Germany to his late English queen, Edith, has been re-dated following new research by a historian from the University of Exeter.
Medieval document exposed as 18th-century forgery
A medieval document thought to date from 1266 has been exposed as an elaborate 18th-century forgery. Uncovered by researchers at Göttingen University, the text reveals the cunning schemes of Domenico Cicci, a forger who fabricated hundreds of documents to elevate his family’s status.