Viking-Age Woman’s Burial Discovered in Sweden
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.
Medieval Bread Discovered in Turkey
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.
Renaissance Sculpture Acquired by The Getty
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.
Who Could Baptize? Clerical Authority and Emergency Baptisms in the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, baptism was essential for salvation—but who could perform it? This article explores how the medieval Church balanced clerical authority with the necessity of emergency baptisms by lay people and midwives.
Famous Medieval Words and Their Surprising Origins
From medieval and Vikings to chivalry, cathedrals, guilds, and manuscripts, explore 25 words we associate with the Middle Ages and uncover the surprising origins behind each one.
Before the Holy Grail: The Original Meaning of the Medieval ‘Graal’
Learn how the medieval graal began not as a holy cup but as an ordinary serving dish in the court of the Fisher King—revealing the surprising origins of the legendary Holy Grail.
Medieval Inventions We Still Can’t Fully Recreate Today
From Greek fire and Damascene steel to the glowing blue of Chartres Cathedral, many medieval inventions remain impossible to reproduce. Discover the lost technologies that continue to puzzle scientists and historians today.
The Edict of 1037: How Conrad II Reshaped Medieval Power
Discover how Emperor Conrad II’s Edictum de Beneficiis transformed power in medieval Italy. Once seen as the birth of feudalism, this 1037 decree reveals a deeper story of politics, land, and loyalty.
The Decline of Animal Sacrifice in the Late Roman World, with James Rives
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.
When the Assassins Came to Mosul
In 1126, Nizari Assassins struck in Mosul, killing the powerful Seljuk commander al-Bursuqi during Friday prayers. The attack and its bloody reprisals reveal how fear, faith, and politics intertwined in the medieval Islamic world.
The Two Hundred Years’ War with Michael Livingston
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.
The Medieval Frog: From Healing Charm to Cautionary Tale
In medieval Europe, frogs were both feared and useful — condemned as unclean yet valued in medical recipes and moral tales. A new study explores how this unlikely creature moved from the healer’s toolkit to the storyteller’s page, revealing the many roles of the medieval frog.
New Medieval Exhibition Opens at The Met Cloisters
A new exhibition at The Met Cloisters in New York invites visitors to reconsider the medieval past through the art of human desire. Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages explores how artists from the 13th to 15th centuries depicted passion, devotion, and identity in ways that were both deeply spiritual and strikingly sensual.
How the Reconquista Changed Rural Life in Medieval Spain
Archaeological evidence from Valencia and Granada reveals how the Reconquista transformed medieval Spain’s countryside—reshaping irrigation, farming, and village life as Islamic and Christian cultures met and merged.
Medieval Silver Hoard Discovered in Sweden
An unusually large and remarkably well-preserved silver treasure from the Middle Ages has been discovered near the Swedish capital city of Stockholm. The hoard, weighing around six kilograms, was found while the individual was digging for earthworms near a summer house.
The Favourite Foods of Medieval Europeans
What did people eat in medieval Europe? From papal kitchens to royal courts, two 15th-century sources reveal the favourite foods of Europeans—from cheese soup for the French to liver mash for Hungarians.
Weird Medieval Job: The Criers of the Dead
Meet the “criers of the dead,” professional mourners who once roamed medieval towns announcing deaths with bells and prayers. Explore how these strange but vital figures shaped the soundscape of mourning in the Middle Ages.
Mieszko I and the Making of Medieval Poland
Mieszko I transformed a network of Slavic tribes into the foundations of medieval Poland. Using early chronicles and recent archaeological evidence, this article traces the rise of the Piast dynasty and the emergence of a powerful Central European state.
What Can Cards Teach Us? Connecting Truco, Tarot, and Lotería
Explore how playing cards evolved from medieval Mamluk designs to modern games and divination tools.
When the Assassins Came to Damascus
In 1113, Mawdud of Mosul was assassinated in Damascus by the Nizaris, exposing the deep rivalries between Turkic rulers and the Assassins’ growing influence. This account explores how politics, betrayal, and religious divisions shaped power in medieval Syria.
How to Make a Medieval Omelet
Explore how to make an omelet, medieval-style, from a 14th-century Egyptian cookbook.
Donatello’s Medieval Masterpiece Moved for Conservation Work
Donatello’s Gattamelata, the celebrated bronze equestrian statue in Padua, has been carefully removed from its pedestal for conservation. Experts are conducting detailed studies to prepare for the restoration of this fifteenth-century masterpiece.
Online Course: Social Hierarchies in Early Byzantium
A four-week course exploring the social world of Early Byzantium — where emperors ruled, clergy guided, soldiers fought, and commoners toiled. Explore how religion, law, and the economy shaped identity and mobility, bringing primary sources vividly to life.
Medieval Animal Names with Ben Parsons
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Ben Parsons about what medieval people named their pets and working animals, how we know about them, and which animals are still called by their medieval nicknames.
