The Medieval Anti-War Satire You’ve Never Heard Of
Medieval literature is often filled with heroic battles and noble knights. But one fourteenth-century poem turned war into absurd comedy, mocking the very idea of military glory.
Extreme Weather Pushed Medieval England into Crisis, Study Finds
Extreme weather, failed harvests, disease outbreaks, and economic collapse plunged England into crisis during the 1430s, according to a new study exploring how climate change reshaped medieval society and landholding.
Meet Caritas Pirckheimer: Scholar, Abbess, and Renaissance Writer
When the Protestant Reformation swept through Nuremberg, one abbess refused to surrender her convent. Caritas Pirckheimer used scholarship, political connections, and years of literary experience to defend her community against reformers and city officials.
Sumptuary Laws in Medieval Florence: The Fashion Rules Women Had to Follow
Medieval Florence enforced strict sumptuary laws that regulated women’s clothing, jewellery, fur, and luxury fashion in an effort to control status and behaviour.
Five Medieval Objects That Caught Our Eye at TimeLine Auctions
Five fascinating medieval artefacts from the latest TimeLine Auctions sale, including a Byzantine icon fragment, an early medieval sword, and a badge depicting Thomas Becket.
British Museum Plans Immersive Bayeux Tapestry Experience
The British Museum has revealed details of its major new Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, featuring immersive displays, rare medieval loans, and the story of the Norman Conquest
The Viking Sea: Ships, Storms, and Adventure in Old Norse Poetry
Explore how Viking-age poets described ships, storms, and seafaring adventure in Old Norse poetry, revealing the central role of the sea in medieval Scandinavian life.
Teaching the Faith in Byzantine Christianity: The Catechetical Process
Explore how Byzantine Christians taught the faith through structured catechesis, liturgical instruction, and episcopal oversight, shaping the religious life and identity of the medieval Eastern Roman Empire.
Medieval Chinese Surgeons Used Toxic Anaesthetic, Study Finds
Chemical analysis of surgical tools from a Ming Dynasty tomb has revealed traces of a toxic aconitine-based anaesthetic, offering rare physical evidence of sophisticated medieval Chinese medicine and surgery.
Upcoming Medieval Studies Online Courses for Summer and Fall 2026
Looking to learn more about the Middle Ages from home? Check out 15 online courses starting between June and October.
10 Peace Treaties That Shaped the Middle Ages
Ten major peace treaties from the Middle Ages that reshaped kingdoms, ended wars, and changed the course of medieval diplomacy and history.
Medieval Swear Words: What People Really Said in the Middle Ages
People in the Middle Ages swore very differently from us. Explore medieval swear words, insults, and religious oaths that shocked medieval society.
Q&A #14: Why were Infantry Defeating Knights in Battle?
In the latest Q&A episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly answer questions about infantry vs cavalry in late medieval battles, will there be archaeological excavations at Hundred Years’ War battlefields, favourite centuries and what our hosts will be doing this summer.
Julian Augustus and the Dream of a Platonic Roman Empire, with Jeremy Swist
A conversation with Jeremy Swist on the emperor Julian (361-363 AD) and how he tried to combine his love of philosophy with ruling the Roman Empire. We talk about why Julian continues to excite such passions, how in some ways he may have been more Roman than Greek, and how he read Roman history in light of the theurgical Neoplatonism that he espoused.
10 Hidden Details in the Bayeux Tapestry
Look closely at the Bayeux Tapestry and you will spot humorous, strange, and fascinating scenes hidden within one of the Middle Ages’ most famous works of art.
Medieval Manuscripts Reveal Hidden Animal DNA Archive
Researchers have developed a nondestructive way to extract DNA from medieval parchment manuscripts, revealing new insights into livestock, trade networks, and manuscript production across 1,300 years.
Medieval Beauty Secrets: Flowers, Cosmetics and Skincare
Medieval medical and cosmetic texts reveal how roses, violets, lilies and other flowers were used in skincare, haircare, perfumes and beauty remedies. These floral treatments were intended to cleanse the skin, whiten the complexion, scent the body and maintain healthy hair.
Were Carolingian Free Men Getting Poorer?
Did Charlemagne’s free landowners suffer widespread impoverishment? David Bachrach reexamines the evidence behind one of the most influential theories about Carolingian society, military service, and economic decline.
8 Medieval Latin Sayings About Money, Greed, and Desire
Explore eight medieval Latin sayings about money, greed, and human desire, revealing how writers in the Middle Ages viewed wealth, virtue, and moral character.
Online Course: Anointed Sounds: Exploring Political Power and Religion in Medieval Music Manuscripts
A six-week course exploring medieval music and the intertwined powers of politics and religion. Through vivid manuscripts and wild tales of saints, kings,…
Lost Medieval Manuscript Rejoins Heidelberg’s Famous Bibliotheca Palatina
A lost medieval manuscript has been reunited with Heidelberg’s famous Bibliotheca Palatina after researchers traced the codex’s centuries-long journey across Europe.
The World’s First Newspapers May Have Appeared in Medieval China
Long before newspapers appeared in Europe, medieval China had printed publications reporting on politics, government decisions, scandals, and military affairs during the Song Dynasty.
Byzantine Strategy and Geopolitics in the Tenth Century
Surrounded by rivals on every frontier, the Byzantine Empire of the tenth century relied on far more than battlefield victories to survive and expand. George Theotokis explores how emperors and diplomats used strategy, alliances, bribery, fortifications, and warfare to navigate a dangerous geopolitical world stretching from the Balkans to the Middle East.
Medieval Notebook Discovered in German Latrine
Archaeologists in Germany have uncovered a rare medieval notebook in a Paderborn latrine, preserving 700-year-old wax tablet writings that may reveal the life of a medieval merchant.