The Infamous Military Campaign of 1379
The destruction of an English fleet led by Sir John Arundel in 1379 is reported by most chroniclers to be an unfortunate accident. However, if you read what Thomas Walsingham has to say about what happened, you get a far more horrific version of events.
Crusader Fleets: A Missing Ingredient
We tend to associate the Crusaders with all the bold, visually striking, images of medieval warfare. Charging knights and crossbowmen. Castles and siege towers. What we do not often think of is sailors and fleets
Up to 50,000 coins from the 4th century discovered off of Sardinia
Archaeologists exploring the waters off the Italian island of Sardinia have discovered a cache of between 30,000 and 50,000 coins dating back to the first half of the 4th century.
Violence as Global Practice in the Early Medieval Western Mediterranean
I challenge the assumption that violence involving Muslims and Christians was necessarily religious. Moreover, I propose that normative texts concerning maritime violence impede rather than illuminate our understanding of that violence, particularly in cases adjacent to religious rhetoric.
Templars and the Royal Navy
The Templars played an important, but almost unknown, role in the formation of the English navy under King John and Henry III.
A Journey to the Far North in the Middle Ages
The name Ohthere does not usually rank among the famous explorers of the Middle Ages, such as Leif Erikson or Marco Polo. However, his exploits are very impressive, for he would sail into the Arctic Circle over eleven hundred years ago.
14th-century cannon discovered off Swedish coast
An international research team has confirmed that a cannon discovered off Sweden’s west coast dates back to the 14th century. It might be Europe’s oldest shipboard cannon.
The Battle of Sluys (1340)
In the early stages of the Hundred Years’ War, the English and French naval forces fight a battle just off the coast of…
New Medieval Books: The Cambridge History of the Pacific Ocean
The first part of a two-volume set, this book covers the medieval history of the Pacific Ocean.
Two medieval shipwrecks discovered in Sweden
The remains of two medieval merchant vessels, known as cogs, were discovered over the summer in western Sweden during an archaeological excavation. New evidence reveals that the ships were built outside of Scandinavia in the mid-14th century.
Surveying the cog: How the medieval merchant ship is being studied
It still moves science – the Bremen Cog from 1380. Since its discovery 60 years ago, the more than 600-year-old trading ship from the Middle Ages has been the focus of researchers and continues to drive minds to new discoveries.
Herring trade began in the Viking age, study finds
Herring bones from trading places in the Baltic Sea show that extensive trade was established already in the Viking Age. Historians previously believed extensive herring trade started around 1200.
Medieval shipwreck’s cargo revealed by researchers
Around the year 1440, a ship was sailing towards Belgium when it sank off the coast of Sweden. Researchers have now been able to determine its cargo – which included copper, oak timber, quicklime, tar, and bricks and roof tiles – offering insights into trade in northern Europe during the late Middle Ages.
Medieval cog discovered off the coast of Sweden
A previously undiscovered shipwreck has been found off the west coast of Sweden. Dating back to the 13th century, it is one of the oldest cogs to be found in Europe.
The Pirate Queen of the Mediterranean: The Story of Al-Sayyida al-Hurra
When it came to piracy on the Mediterrean Sea, one of the most feared and formidable leaders was a woman by the name of Al-Sayyida al-Hurra. Here is her story.
Site of 13th-century shipwreck to be protected
The remains of a medieval ship made from trees felled over 750 years ago is one of three extremely rare shipwrecks that have been granted the highest level of protection by the British government.
Wayfinding Through the Stars: The Science and Craft of Medieval Navigation in the Indian Ocean
A case study of the practices of medieval Indian Ocean pilots, and quite particularly at their sophisticated usage of the lunar mansions (manazil al-qamar), and stars in general, for making their way through the ocean.
Oceania 800-1800 with James Flexner
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with James Flexner about how, why, and just how far Oceanic peoples explored in the Middle Ages, as well as the ways in which we can learn about the rich history of this region.
Viking shipyard discovered at Birka
Archaeologists in Sweden have located a unique Viking Age shipyard site at Birka, an important Norse town. The discovery challenges previous theories about how the maritime activities of the Viking Age were organised.
The Battle of Zonchio (1499)
In the first naval battle covered by Bow and Blade, Kelly and Michael discuss the Battle of Zonchio, fought on four separate days in August of 1499. The Ottoman and Venetian fleets fight off the coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea to determine who would control the waters of the eastern Mediterranean.
Old Barrels and Networks of Trade
How urban and marine archaeology allows us to dive into medieval international commerce.
The Viking and the Sea
Old Norse poetry reveals a deep attachment to both the seas around them and the ships that allowed them to navigate those waters.
Researchers to examine the origins of the Maritime Silk Route
An international team of researchers will be delving into medieval ceramics and how they led to the origins of the Maritime Silk Route.
Safe Travels: Taming the Seas through Image, Word, and Sacred Matter in Byzantium
One of the papes given at The Byzantines and the Sea in Texts and Images conference
Viking Age boat burials: a history of research
Boats form a subset of grave goods increasingly found in Viking Age burials, which have been the subject of much scholarly debate, especially from the 19th century onwards.