Where the Middle Ages Begin
As news reached 13th-century Europe of a new power emerging in the East, the kings of France were among those most eager to learn more about these mysterious newcomers. This book traces their efforts to understand the Mongols, establish connections with them, and explores how these encounters left their mark on medieval France.
What everyday objects did people use in the Middle Ages? From clothing and household necessities to tools for work and warfare, these 25 medieval items were essential to daily life and shaped how people lived, ate, and survived.
Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500.
Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages
In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolete occupations and how historical changes led to their disappearance.
Are you wanting to talk more like someone from the Middle Ages? We have a list of 30 great sayings and proverbs that you can use in your conversations.
Have you wondered what a medieval king did on a typical day? Thanks to Christine de Pizan, we have an account of what daily life was like for King Charles V of France.
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Want to know what kind of jobs there were in the Middle Ages? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work.
Archaeologists near Suzdal, Russia, have discovered a rare 10th-century warrior burial containing a horse, dog, weapons and riding equipment.
As news reached 13th-century Europe of a new power emerging in the East, the kings of France were among those most eager to learn more about these mysterious newcomers. This book traces their efforts to understand the Mongols, establish connections with them, and explores how these encounters left their mark on medieval France.
A study of how Suger of Saint-Denis understood France, revealing changing ideas about the French kingdom, its people and political identity in the twelfth century.
Medieval students faced expensive books, housing and daily costs too. Their surviving letters reveal a familiar solution: writing home to ask for money.
Meet Arégonde, a sixth-century medieval queen whose bones, teeth and even her shoes reveal the lasting effects of childhood polio.
A study of Nicolaus Cusanus’s conflict with Duke Sigismund of Tyrol, revealing tensions between church reform and secular power in fifteenth-century Europe
A comparison of medieval Christian and Muslim world chronicles, examining how historians used religion, chronology and changing political realities to create unified accounts of the past.
In the aftermath of the First Crusade, a new state emerged in the eastern Mediterranean that was very different from the lands its conquerors had come from. This book examines the social and cultural landscape of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, revealing a remarkably diverse society shaped by peoples of different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
What happens when a seemingly ordinary child decides to devote their life to the Middle Ages? Ken Mondschein offers parents a survival guide for life with a budding medievalist.
Anne McKendry looks at medieval crime fiction and the challenges of solving murders in a world without modern policing or forensic science.
What was work like before industrialisation? This book looks back at Britain before the rise of modern industry, exploring the professions and occupations that once played an important role in people’s everyday lives.
Ancient DNA from medieval graves in Sweden reveals that adults and children buried together were often not close relatives, challenging assumptions about family burials.
Follow the Vikings eastward as they sought Arab silver and Byzantine gold, forging trade routes across Eastern Europe and helping shape the world of the Rus’.
Discover the real names of 20 famous medieval figures and how translation, nicknames, titles and linguistic changes created the names we know today.
King Richard III faces Henry Tudor in one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss the Battle of Bosworth and how the identification of its battlefield has offered new insights into how the fighting unfolded.
Archaeologists investigating a Viking ship burial in Norway have found evidence that it may have been built over a much older Bronze Age grave.
Discover why medieval battles could have enormous consequences, toppling rulers, reshaping kingdoms and changing the course of European history.
Four fifteenth-century paintings by Antonello da Messina were stolen from a museum in Sicily, although two were abandoned during the thieves’ escape.
The 14th-century writer Geoffrey Chaucer included many episodes of “violence, victimhood, and overwhelming grief or loss” in his works. The nine papers in this collection explore how he presents these traumatic experiences and what they reveal about both the writer and his medieval world.
Discover 50 medieval sayings about friendship, fortune, animals and everyday life, and learn what these strange and funny proverbs really mean.
For the English kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III, one rival repeatedly gained the upper hand. This book examines a crucial period in the rivalry between England and France, revealing how Philip Augustus became such a formidable opponent.
Trees held deep meaning in medieval life, appearing in religion, mythology, literature, political gatherings and even the food served at wealthy tables.
A lunar eclipse allowed two medieval scholars working 1,500 kilometres apart to calculate the longitude difference between Baghdad and Khwarezm.
Medieval accounts may help identify Castle Hill in Devon as the long-lost site of the Battle of Cynuit, where Anglo-Saxon forces defeated a Viking army in 878.
As news reached 13th-century Europe of a new power emerging in the East, the kings of France were among those most eager to learn more about these mysterious newcomers. This book traces their efforts to understand the Mongols, establish connections with them, and explores how these encounters left their mark on medieval France.
King Richard III faces Henry Tudor in one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss the Battle of Bosworth and how the identification of its battlefield has offered new insights into how the fighting unfolded.
As the Hundred Years’ War entered its final chapter, England and France fought for control of Normandy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly examine the road to the Battle of Formigny and its decisive impact on the war.
A conversation with Christopher Bonura about the apocalyptic tradition of identifying the Four Kingdoms prophesied in the Book of Daniel. Which one was the Roman empire? The fourth, scheduled to fall with the others, or something that came afterward (a tradition sometimes called imperial eschatology)? Among other topics we discuss Eusebios of Caesarea and the reign of Herakleios as possible turning points in this tradition.
One of the pivotal battles of the Crusades, the Battle of Hattin was shaped by both brilliant strategy and disastrous decisions. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly explore how Saladin orchestrated a crushing defeat of the Crusader army, while also sharing insights into the film Kingdom of Heaven.
In the latest Q&A episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly answer questions about infantry vs cavalry in late medieval battles, will there be archaeological excavations at Hundred Years’ War battlefields, favourite centuries and what our hosts will be doing this summer.
A conversation with Jeremy Swist on the emperor Julian (361-363 AD) and how he tried to combine his love of philosophy with ruling the Roman Empire. We talk about why Julian continues to excite such passions, how in some ways he may have been more Roman than Greek, and how he read Roman history in light of the theurgical Neoplatonism that he espoused.