Ruins of medieval monastery explored by archaeologists in Germany
For hundreds of years during the Middle Ages, Kaltenborn monastery was thriving in central Germany. Archaeologists are now exploring the ruins of that monastery to help understand its downfall in the 16th century.
Communities of the living, communities of the dead: hospitals in medieval social life
This paper discussed the nature of medical practice and care in the medieval hospitals of England and Wales, and in particular set out the way that archaeology can help us understand how these sites approached health and treatment.
Decoding Divine Enterprise: The External Affairs of 13th Century Canterbury Cathedral
In understanding the external affairs of Canterbury, we can gain an insight into the investments and estates controlled by Canterbury.
New Medieval Books: The Book of Monasteries
While this tenth-century is text about monasteries it’s not about religion. Instead, it is very much an account of the social and literary world of Christian monasteries in the medieval Middle East and the poetry of this time.
Decoding Divine Enterprise: The Spiritual Affairs of 13th Century Canterbury Cathedral
In understanding the spiritual affairs of Canterbury we may be able to gain a key insight into the role that shrines and altars played in the finances of the cathedral.
Decoding Divine Enterprise: The Domestic Affairs of 13th Century Canterbury Cathedral
In understanding the domestic affairs of Canterbury, we shall be able to witness the bustling day-to-day life of those who lived and breathed in the 13th century.
How Does a Place Become Holy? The Case of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
The interesting question is: in what sense was the monastery connected to the Cross, and when and why was this connection established?
Tale of 14th-century Killer Monk uncovered by historian
A historian searching through manuscripts in the United Kingdom’s National Archive in Kew has uncovered a fourteenth-century document that describes the extraordinary criminal career of John of Tintern, abbot of a Benedictine monastery in Wiltshire.
The Rediscovery of Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey was built as a royal mausoleum by King Henry I; a great architectural statement made by a king who has been described as the most powerful of his time in Western Europe
Was the First Medieval Monk a Woman? – Reconsidered
My argument is that contrary to the self-perception and master narrative, the roots of many key aspects of monastic life can be found in much older traditions of female religious life rather than in the imagined world of the desert fathers.
Work begins to help preserve Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey, located in southeastern Wales, is famed for its iconic ruins. To help preserve this medieval site, a five-year conservation project has begun by Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government.
Archaeologists explore medieval monastery in Germany
For the first time, archaeologists have excavated the abandoned Himmelpforte monastery near Wernigerode in central Germany. The dig, directed by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, was able to locate monastery buildings and uncover numerous finds that tell of the everyday life of the Augustinian monks.
Remains of 15th-century anchoress identified
Lady Isabel German was an anchoress who lived in the English city of York during the 15th century. Researchers believe that they have identified her remains, according to a study published in Medieval Archaeology.
Medieval English monasteries found ways to survive Viking attacks, archaeologists find
English monasteries were more resilient to Viking attacks than previously thought, archaeologists have concluded.
True Crusader Crime: Murdering Monks
Not surprisingly, the crusades were full of headstrong and heavily armed soldiers who were hard to police.
“Once-in-a-generation discovery”: Early Medieval Monastery found in England
An 8th-century monastery in southern England could have enjoyed similarly important status as a trade and production centre to larger towns like London and Southampton, a new excavation has revealed.
Medieval friars were ‘riddled with parasites’, study finds
A new analysis of remains from medieval Cambridge shows that local Augustinian friars were almost twice as likely as the city’s general population to be infected by intestinal parasites.
An Anchoress Burned at the Stake
Catherine Sauve’s time as an anchoress in Montpellier was brief, but it ended with her execution. Why was she burned at the stake?
The Early Medieval Hospital
The birth and rise of a charitable institution in Europe during the Early Middle Ages.
New survey of Dunstable Priory reveals a grander complex
Historic England has published a survey giving fascinating insights into Dunstable Priory, a monastery founded by King Henry I around the year 1132. It reveals that the church was grander and more elaborate than originally thought.
Fun Facts About Monks
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle dishes on some of the ways medieval monks could be silly, petty, clever and compassionate. Here are some of the fun facts that made it – and didn’t make it – into her new book, How to Live Like a Monk.
“The Worst Kind of Monk”: The Sarabaites
A look into the Sarabaites, recluses who lived in pairs or trios independent of any monastic rule or oversight, definitely weren’t as saintly as your garden variety hermit.
A Pilgrim from Xanadu: How A Christian Monk Discovered Medieval Europe
The first-hand records of Bar Sauma’s amazing mission allow us to trace his odyssey from Beijing to Baghdad, and on to Rome and Bordeaux.
What the St Gall Plan tells us about Medieval Monasteries
This 9th-century plan reveals much about the spiritual and practical life going on behind a monastery’s walls.
Who did what in a Medieval Monastery?
Here is a quick guide for understanding the hierarchy and various roles monks and nuns would have in a medieval monastery.