Foundlings, asylums, almshouses and orphanages: early roots of child protection
Historically, when societies faced serious economic problems, competing demands for resources, or implicit cultural expectations, those with the lowest social status fared poorly.
Defining a community: Controlling nuisance in late-medieval London
Looking only at late-medieval London, this study examines nuisance and social regulation through an analysis of secular court records, as well as other relevant municipal sources.
Article examines Edward III’s family ambitions
This month’s issue of BBC History Magazine features an article by Mark Ormrod that looks at how the English king Edward III tried establish positions of power for his various offspring and create what he calls a loose confederation among his sons that would rule over much of Western Europe.
First trailer released for Crusader Kings II
Paradox Interactive has released the first in a series of seven live action trailers for medieval strategy / RPG Crusader Kings II. The video features a ‘unique’ attempt to storm a medieval castle ;)
New project to examine immigration to medieval England
The study will create a huge database of around 80,000 immigrants who lived in England between 1330 and 1550.
HASKINS CONFERENCE: Furness Abbey and Daughter Houses: Irish Sea Relations in the Twelfth Century
This paper focused on the daughter houses of Furness Abbey.
HASKINS CONFERENCE: Hagiography at the Frontiers: Jocelin of Furness and his Near Contemporaries
This paper focuses on the writing of Cistercian Jocelin of Furness.
‘í litklæðum’ – Coloured Clothes in Medieval Scandinavian Literature and Archaeology
What do we mean by coloured clothes? Or rather, what did the saga writers mean by their term litklæði?
Archaeologists discover major Pictish site
An excavation has revealed a fortified early medieval settlement and unearthed significant artefacts which position a tiny Scottish village as a seat of major political power and influence.
Poet and ‘World Painter’: Francesco Berlinghieri’s Geographia (1482)
From an examination of the Geographia’s text, maps and illuminations, I argue that Berlinghieri, and the artists who worked for him, portrayed the poet as author of both the textual and the cartographical components.
13th-century Italian Castle for Sale
The Suevian castle in Oria is a splendid building constructed between 1225 and 1233 by Frederick II one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages, grandson of Frederick Barbarossa.
Historian examines the philosophy of Richard Rufus
Richard Rufus of Cornwall may be the most important figure in Western philosophy you’ve never heard of. A project based at Indiana University and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities aims to change that.
The Image of the Oriental: Western and Byzantine Perceptions
This article explores the aspects of both absence and presence in the representation of “Otherness” in medieval iconography of the Bible.
Slavery and the slave trade in pre-colonial Africa
Slavery and the Slave Trade have been age old institutions and practices in almost every continent in the world.
Local and Regional Cartography in Medieval Europe
This article examines medieval cartography.
Lewis Chessmen arrive in New York City
Beginning today, over 30 chessmen from the collection of the British Museum will be shown at The Cloisters until April 22, 2012
French towns sells off 14th century cloister to pay debts
The mayor of the southern French town of Saint Emilion has discreetly sold off its 14th century Cordeliers cloister to a private winemaker, leaving local residents shocked and upset.
Crusader inscription by Frederick II discovered in Israel
“This is the only Crusader inscription in the Arabic language ever found in the Middle East,” say researchers.
Theocratic Centralism: The Politics of Boniface VIII during the Thirteenth Century
This paper intends to outline how Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303), in his struggle with King Philip IV le Bel of France (1268-1314), had an ultimate objective to create a theocratic government under which all other nations existed, essentially creating a Christian nation without borders
The Medieval Friaries of London
The five friaries under review are the houses that lasted up to the Dissolution in 1538: the Dominican Black Friars, the Franciscan Grey Friars, Carmelite White Friars, Augustinian Austin Friars and the house of Crossed or Crutched Friars
Horses as Status Symbols: Medieval Icelandic horses as symbols of masculine honor in a one-sexed world
Horses, the unsung heroes of the Viking age, have been overlooked all too often in the study of medieval Iceland and its culture.
‘It’s a Magical World’: The Page in Comics and Medieval Manuscripts
In this essay I examine the location in the material world that calls forth that cognitive frontier: the page.
Multi-million funding for centre for medieval European literature
A proposed new centre for the study of medieval European literature based in York and Odense is set to become a reality thanks to an award of nearly £4.5 million funding from the Danish National Research Foundation.
The Disappearance of Ancient Slavery
Since access to ancient documents was unobtainable, the information in this paper is based on the writings of twentieth century historians.
Midwives, Medicine, and the Reproductive Female Body in Manosque, 1289-1500
Despite the significant role that midwives played in medieval society, surprisingly few studies have sought to discern who they were and what they did.