Where the Middle Ages Begin
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Erin Wagner about what late medieval people meant when they used the word heresy, how the usage evolved, and how medieval people applied ideas of heresy beyond the borders of Christianity.
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.
A conversation with Mark Roosien about the earthquakes that struck Constantinople in late antiquity and about how emperors and the people of the City reacted to them in the moment. We focus on the church liturgies that commemorated and tried to make sense of them.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Erin Wagner about what late medieval people meant when they used the word heresy, how the usage evolved, and how medieval people applied ideas of heresy beyond the borders of Christianity.
New research suggests that the Crusades may have begun far earlier than 1095. A study of a 1062 Byzantine embassy reveals Emperor Constantine X Doukas may have sought Western aid—and even invoked Jerusalem—decades before the First Crusade.
Medieval Valais developed distinctive laws on the unborn child, combining Roman legal traditions and Christian beliefs to shape inheritance rights, baptismal requirements, and ideas of life before birth.
Forensic and genetic analysis of bones found on Margaret Island has confirmed they belong to Duke Béla of Macsó—revealing his royal lineage, diet, and the brutal details of his 1272 assassination.
Explore how medieval Persian musicians blended art, theory, and performance through two remarkable texts that reveal the sounds and social world of music.
Discover how a persecuted sect known as the Assassins transformed remote Syrian fortresses into the centre of a medieval mountain state—blending diplomacy, strategy, and fortification to secure their survival.
MGM+’s new Robin Hood series reimagines the medieval legend for 2025. In its first episode, “I See Him,” Saxons rise against Norman rule, a new hero emerges—and a surprising frog hops into the story.
Archaeologists in Sweden have uncovered Viking Age graves containing swords, ornate horse gear, and cremation sites in the central region of Västmanland.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Isabel Moreira about Queen Balthild of Francia, her influence, and her lasting legacy.
What’s new in medieval studies? Here are ten open-access articles published in October, which include papers ranging from beer to wax.
A section of the 13th-century Torre dei Conti in Rome collapsed during restoration work, killing one worker and injuring others. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse at the historic medieval tower.
Archaeologists in northern Israel have uncovered Mamluk-era tunnels beneath Gan Ha-Shelosha National Park, revealing a 15th–16th-century sugar mill complex powered by brackish spring water.
Discover how early medieval rulers like Charlemagne organized their wars through meticulous planning and record-keeping, revealing a sophisticated logistical system that kept their armies supplied and ready for campaign.
Art and artefacts from the Middle Ages offer a vivid window into the values, fears, and imaginations of medieval society. This updated edition explores how these objects reflect beliefs and folklore—both devout and delightfully strange.
Discover ten forgotten phrases from the Middle Ages — from English oaths to Arabic blessings — that once shaped medieval life and still deserve a comeback today.
In the 13th-century, a Dominican preacher linked real graves in Burgundy to the legendary Knights of the Round Table. Étienne de Bourbon’s account reveals how medieval belief, archaeology, and Arthurian myth intertwined in the mysterious tombs of Saint-Émiland.
This book profiles more than forty women associated with the Burgundian court between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, highlighting their influential roles in governance, religion, and the arts.
A newly identified 9th-century manuscript leaf may contain some of the earliest known examples of written music in Western Europe — what experts are calling a rare witness to the very dawn of musical notation. The manuscript leaf is being offered on the public market for $80,000 US.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with John Blair about who refused to rest in peace in the Middle Ages, how medieval people attempted to keep the dead buried, and why some hauntings reached epidemic proportions.
Learn what it takes to be a rogue from Abū Zayd al-Sarūjī, the legendary con man of Maqamat al-Hariri, as translated in Michael Cooperson’s Impostures.
Archaeologists in Sweden have uncovered the grave of a woman buried between 8th and 9th century AD, during the early Viking Age, at a site that had already been inhabited more than two thousand years earlier.
Archaeologists in southern Turkey have uncovered five carbonised loaves of bread dating to the 7th–8th centuries AD, offering a rare glimpse into early medieval Christian life and worship.
The J. Paul Getty Museum has announced the acquisition of a life-size glazed terracotta sculpture by Andrea della Robbia, one of the foremost sculptors of the Italian Renaissance. The work depicts Saint Anthony the Abbot, a third- and fourth-century Christian hermit famed for his asceticism and role as a model for monastic life.
Art and artefacts from the Middle Ages offer a vivid window into the values, fears, and imaginations of medieval society. This updated edition explores how these objects reflect beliefs and folklore—both devout and delightfully strange.
A conversation with Mark Roosien about the earthquakes that struck Constantinople in late antiquity and about how emperors and the people of the City reacted to them in the moment. We focus on the church liturgies that commemorated and tried to make sense of them.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Erin Wagner about what late medieval people meant when they used the word heresy, how the usage evolved, and how medieval people applied ideas of heresy beyond the borders of Christianity.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Isabel Moreira about Queen Balthild of Francia, her influence, and her lasting legacy.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with John Blair about who refused to rest in peace in the Middle Ages, how medieval people attempted to keep the dead buried, and why some hauntings reached epidemic proportions.
A conversation with James Rives on the history of ancient animal sacrifice in the Roman world. We focus on its decline and eventual demise in the third and fourth centuries. Animal sacrifice was caught up in the conflicts between the Roman emperors and the Christian Church, which endowed it with an importance it had not had before.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Michael Livingston about why the Hundred Years’ War should actually be called the Two Hundred Years’ War, what actually touched off the conflict, and why we should question everything.
