Music for a Medieval Coronation: Edward the Confessor at Winchester
Long before the orchestras and choirs of modern coronations, music played a central role in crowning England’s kings. What might have been sung…
Did Alfred the Great send an embassy from England to India?
A new study is taking a fresh look at one of the most surprising lines in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle—the claim that, in the 880s, King Alfred the Great sent two men on a mission to India.
Hidden Runic Messages in Gotland’s Medieval Churches Preserved with 3D Technology
Researchers are using photogrammetry to digitally preserve runic inscriptions carved into the plaster walls of Gotland’s medieval churches before climate-related damage causes them to fade.
The Magical Gemstones of King John of England
King John of England’s treasure hoard included gemstones prized not only for their rarity, but for the powers medieval people believed they held. James Turner explores how kings used jewels to project authority, how lapidaries shaped ideas about stones, and what the evidence suggests about John’s personal fascination with them.
The Byzantine Poor: Poverty, Charity, and Social Order
Zoe Tsiami writes about how poverty shaped everyday life in the Byzantine Empire, and how the state and Church responded through law, charity, and social institutions.
Military Intelligence and Planning in the Carolingian Empire
David Bachrach explores how the Carolingian rulers gathered intelligence, interrogated travellers, and compiled detailed frontier reports to plan and execute their military campaigns.
Explore the Medieval Maps of the Ryukyu Kingdom Online
Explore the Ryukyu Kuniezu—three massive 17th-century maps of the Ryukyu Kingdom—now online in high resolution, with zoomable details of Okinawa and the island chains, plus the Wako Zukan pirate scroll.
From Medieval Moon Princess to Anime Icon: The Many Lives of Princess Kaguya
From tragic moon princess to anime icon, discover how Princess Kaguya’s medieval story lives on.
Medieval Diets Varied by Social Status in England, Study Finds
New isotope research reveals how social status shaped medieval diets in England, showing differences between friars, townspeople, rural residents, and hospital burials.
Online Course: Medieval Gender and Sexuality
The six-week course with Eleanor Janega begins February 18th with live sessions on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm EST.
Medieval Remedies for Desire and Potency
Medieval medical writers offered foods and prescriptions to boost desire and potency. Explore Ahmed Ibn al-Jazzar’s influential handbook and its remedies, from simple ingredients to elaborate recipes.
New Online Course: The Hundred Years’ War
The Hundred Years’ War and the Birth of Modern Europe is a 10-week course taught by C.J. Adrien. The course begins on February 17th with live classes each Tuesday from 2:00 to 3:30 pm EST.
A Viking-Age Valentine’s Day Card: A Medieval Runic Love Message from Sweden
How do you tell someone you love them in Viking-Age Sweden? You carve a message in runes on a knife: “Think of me, and I’ll think of you.”
Why were pseudo-Arabic inscriptions placed on churches in Greece?, with Alicia Walker
A conversation with Alicia Walker on the pseudo-Arabic inscriptions that appear on a number of tenth- and eleventh-century churches in Greece, most notably at the monastery of Hosios Loukas. What did the Arabic script signify in Orthodox culture at the time if not tension with Islam?
Previously Unknown Medieval Chronicle Discovered
A newly discovered chronicle from the early eighth century is giving medieval historians a rare new window onto the political shocks and religious debates that reshaped the eastern Mediterranean in the decades before and after the rise of Islam
10 Medieval Studies’ Articles Published Last Month
What’s new in medieval studies? Here are ten open-access articles published in January, which include papers on Christianity in Ethiopia to the Templars in England.
New Online Course: The Americas during the Middle Ages
The Americas during the Middle Ages: 500-1500 CE, is a new online course offering a wider, global perspective on events of the medieval period. Taught by Charlie Presti of Portland Community College, this six-week course begins on February 17th with classes running each Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm EST.
British Museum raises £3.5 million to purchase Tudor Heart Pendant
The British Museum has secured the £3.5 million needed to acquire the Tudor Heart Pendant for its permanent collection, ensuring the rare 24-carat-gold jewel linked to King Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon will remain on public display.
25 Tips from the Middle Ages
Explore 25 tips from the Middle Ages, featuring practical and sometimes strange medieval advice on health, travel, animals, family life, and everyday living, drawn from medieval sources.
Why the Great Schism of 1054 is a Medieval Myth
Why the Great Schism of 1054 is often misunderstood. Explore how the split between the Catholic and Orthodox churches began centuries earlier, how the filioque controversy and Charlemagne’s imperial ambitions reshaped Christian authority, and why 1054 was not the true beginning of the schism.
Michelangelo drawing sells for $27.2 million
A rare red-chalk drawing by Michelangelo has sold for US $27.2 million at Christie’s in New York, setting a new auction record for the Renaissance artist after around 45 minutes of intense bidding.
The Battle of Verneuil (1424)
After Henry V’s death, the Hundred Years’ War flares back to life as a Franco-Scottish army confronts the English in Normandy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly dig into the Battle of Verneuil—one of the war’s bloodiest clashes—and why it mattered.
Yuval Noah Harari: From Medievalist to Global Cultural Prophet
How did Yuval Noah Harari move from a historian of medieval warfare to one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals? This article explores his path from medieval studies to global cultural prophecy—and the medieval roots of his ideas about history, power, and the future.
Symposium “Mappa Mundi: Mapping the Mediaeval World” to Take Place in Toronto
St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto will host Mappa Mundi: Mapping the Mediaeval World, an in-person symposium exploring medieval cartography and how people in the Middle Ages visualized and interpreted their world. The event will take place Saturday, April 11, 2026.
