The Commercial Map of Constantinople
The commercial topography of Constantinople was in part determined by the fact that it was a sea-bound city on seven hills, making access from the port to the forum and other commercial premises a key necessity in urban development.
Shops and Shopping in Britain: from market stalls to chain stores
The first retail shops, as opposed to those of craftsmen and artisans selling goods they made themselves, were drapers, mercers, haberdashers and grocers.
Great Medieval Fiction 2013!
For those of you who enjoy some fantasy or a historical novel – this list is for you!
Æthelflæd, Lady of Mercia
Of all the medieval women I have researched and written about, Aethelflaed is by far my favorite. She was the daughter of Alfred the Great and was instrumental in carrying out his vision for a united Britain.
A Word About Our Words
This may be a little hard to believe, considering the conspicuous lack of “thee” and “thou” in modern writing, but the forms of English that came before are even more foreign.
Renaissance Table Manners
How should one behave at parties or dinners, in the company of friends and relatives? Every society has its list of do’s and don’ts, including in Renaissance Italy.
Call to end ‘unseemly squabbling’ over the burial of King Richard III
As a legal battle began yesterday to determine where the remains of Richard III should be buried, at least one group has appealed for an end to ‘unseemly squabbling’ and advocates the England’s current monarch should be given say on where the medieval king should be laid to rest.
Donatello and Ghiberti: The Choice Betewen Compositional Unity and Narrative Force
In the spiritual epicenter of Quattrocento1 Florence April 2, 1452 marked the completion of the Baptistery of San Giovanni’s third set of bronze doors.
Holy War in The Song of Roland: The ‘Mythification’ of History
It is true, as the poem claims, that in 778 the rear guard of Charlemagne’s army was massacred at Roncevaux. But in reality — and in contrast to the claims of the song — the Basques, and not the Muslims, destroyed the rear guard of the Frankish forces.
Why did Vinland fail?
Brigitta Wallace, one of the leading scholars on the Vikings in North America, examines why their settlements failed.
Castle for Sale in England: Westenhanger Castle
One of Kent’s greatest historic houses, this Listed Grade I Heritage site comes with Towers, Castle wall remains and a landscaped inner court that is used as a wedding venue.
Medieval Books: Great Reads of 2013
Here are a few great medieval books that were released in 2013!
Roses in the Middle Ages
Roses reached the height of European favor in the 1200s and the 1300s after several centuries of increasing popularity.
A Rural Economy in Transition: Asia Minor from Late Antiquity into the Early Middle Ages
A Rural Economy in Transition deals with one of the most important periods in the history of Europe and the Middle East – the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages.
Archaeological dig in Scotland reveals medieval building
Dig Dunfermline was a community project that included an archaeological team and 83 volunteers who spent several weeks examining an area where a museum and art gallery will be built next spring.
Wonders of the Medieval World exhibition comes to New York in early 2014
New York City will host an exhibition featuring the wide range of medieval art from Europe, including sculpture, paintings, stained glass, metalwork, and illuminated manuscripts.
Sex, lies and the Íslendinga sögur
Sex, lies and the Íslendinga sögur By Damian Fleming Sagas and Society, No.6 (2004) Abstract: Past scholars used to look upon the Icelandic…
Crac des Chevaliers – once again – Comments on the state of research
The Crac des Chevaliers in today’s Syria (province of Homs), is one of the most famous castles in the world – and not just because this spectacular eye-catcher is often used as a prime example when talking in the broadest sense about crusades or the Middle Ages in the Near East.
The Weight of Necklaces: Some insights into the wearing of women’s jewellery from Middle Saxon written sources
Extracts from Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, and other contemporary Anglo-Saxon and Frankish sources concerning queens and princesses who went into the church, show that these authors were aware that in the seventh century necklaces could be an important part of the identity of high status women.
Finland, Tallinn and the Hanseatic League: Foreign Trade and the Orientation of Roads in Medieval Finland
What was the role of Finland in the trade of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages? Thisquestion has been widely discussed in Finnish history since 1882, when J.W. Ruuth publishedhis study on the relationship between Finland and the Hanse before 1435.
The Charlemagne Window at Chartres Cathedral: New Considerations on Text and Image
The Charlemagne Window, justly considered one of the most beautiful of the history windows of Chartres Cathedral, is located in the northeastern intermediate radial chapel and can probably be dated to about 1225.
The Brewer, the Baker, and the Monopoly Maker
This paper seeks to examine how productive entrepreneurial activities, such as innovation, influence unproductive entrepreneurial activities, such as regulatory rent seeking.
How to justify a crusade? The conquest of Livonia and new crusade rhetoric in the early thirteenth century
This article examines an apparently simple question: how to justify a crusade that did not aim at recovering the Holy Land.
Women In The Medieval And Renaissance Period: Spectators Only
The particular concern in this paper is the involvement of women in sport during the Middle Ages and Renaissance period and, indeed, the analysis will examine this involvement as to woman’s role as spectator or participant.
Society and the Supernatural: A Medieval Change
The supernatural has become what Renan said it was: ‘The way in which the ideal makes its appearance in human affairs.’