New Medieval Books: The Florentine florin
This open-access book traces the rise of the Florentine florin, the gold coin first minted by Florence in the mid-thirteenth century. More than a merchant’s currency, it became a monetary powerhouse sought after by traders, kings, and popes alike.
Reading in Byzantium: Literacy, Books, and a World of Texts
In Byzantium, reading wasn’t just private study—it was performed aloud in churches and monasteries, woven into government, and preserved in precious manuscripts. Zoe Tsiami explores who could read, what they read, and how texts shaped everyday life.
New Medieval Books: Old High German Poetry
Old High German was spoken between the eighth and eleventh centuries, and a small but significant body of its literature has survived. This anthology brings together editions and translations of about a dozen poetic works, spanning subjects from religious devotion to historical narrative.
Montaillou to ICE: The Medieval Roots of Snitching
Historian Joëlle Rollo-Koster explores how denunciation and “snitching” helped power the medieval Inquisition, and why similar dynamics of reporting and surveillance still matter today.
Hattin and the Templars’ Last Stand
A look at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 and the Templars’ last stand—desperate charges, the collapse of the crusader army, and Saladin’s revenge.
New Medieval Books: Mongol Invasion against Europe (1236-1242)
The 27 articles in this collection explore the lead-up to, course of, and aftermath of the Mongol campaigns into Rus and Eastern Europe in the mid-13th century, examining one of the period’s most consequential military and political upheavals.
Women Beyond the Cross: Power, Myth, and Agency in the Viking World
Explore how women in the Viking world exercised power and agency through myth, law, and daily life—challenging the idea that medieval society universally confined women to subordinate roles.
The Battle of Dupplin Moor (1332)
Scotland’s in turmoil in the 1330s—and Edward III spots an opening. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly break down the Battle of Dupplin Moor, where tactics, terrain, and timing turn chaos into catastrophe.
New Medieval Books: The Horse in History
This collection of 11 essays focuses on the equipment used by people with their horses—from saddles to spurs—while honouring the scholarship of John Clark. Its chapters range widely in time and place, exploring not only gear but also training, folklore, and the meanings attached to horses.
When Was Violence Legitimate? Feuds and Just War in Early Medieval Germany
When was violence acceptable in the early Middle Ages? Examining feuds, just war, and how early medieval Germany defined legitimate and illegitimate conflict.
New Medieval Books: Joan of Arc
Even within her short lifetime, Joan of Arc was already becoming a legend. This book traces how her story has been continually retold—casting her at different times as hero, monster, and saint—and shows why, six centuries on, she remains a powerful icon, especially in France.
When were the Middle Ages?
Medieval historians have debated for generations about when the Middle Ages began and ended. Was there a single year that launched the medieval period—and another that closed it?
New Medieval Books: Ming-Dynasty China and the World Along the Silk Road
Across sixteen essays, the author examines the Ming dynasty’s diplomatic and commercial networks, tracing how the “Silk Road” linked China with regions far beyond its borders.
Crusader Frontiers: Mapping the Medieval Holy Land
Mapmaker Dr Adomas Klimantas reveals how he created a detailed map of the Crusader States in the 12th-century.
Medieval Maps of Britain
Explore 10 medieval maps of Britain—from early mappae mundi and Ptolemaic charts to portolans, the Gough Map, and the Catalan Atlas—revealing how England, Scotland and Wales were drawn in the Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: A Demon Spirit
Abū Nuwās is widely regarded as one of the great poets of the Middle Ages. This book brings together more than a hundred poems attributed to him—each with an English translation—focused on hunting.
Ten Medieval Discoveries That Shaped How We Understand Sleep
Medieval physicians made striking discoveries about sleep—describing sleep paralysis, sleep hygiene, and even sleep apnoea centuries before modern sleep medicine.
New Medieval Books: Chasing the Pearl-Manuscript
A single medieval manuscript in the British Library contains the only surviving copies of several of the most important Middle English texts. This book explores how those works and the manuscript that preserves them are inseparable.
Online Course: Medieval Education: From Schools to Universities
Explore the history of education in the Middle Ages through the development of schools, curriculums, the growth of universities, and the diverse individuals who were involved in teaching and learning during this 1000 years of history. Class begins on Saturday, January 24th
New Medieval Books: Interconnected Traditions
This open-access book brings together more than thirty essays on languages and the ways they develop, interact, and influence one another. Its main focus is the Middle East, where Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic long existed side by side and often overlapped in everyday use, scholarship, and culture.
Urban and Rural Life in the Byzantine Empire
Explore how life in the Byzantine Empire differed between cities like Constantinople and the countryside, from social hierarchies and work to festivals, religion, and economic interdependence.
Clothing and Hair of Medieval Mongolian Women
How did medieval Mongolian women wear their hair and dress at court? This feature explores braids, shaving customs, and the iconic boqta headdress across Yuan and Ilkhanid art, travellers’ accounts, and archaeological finds.
New Online Course: Medieval Europe 870 – 1300
This 10-week course begins on January 15th, with live sessions each Thursday from each 3:30 to 5:30 pm EST.
Victory in Death: The Templars at Cresson
In May 1187, the Templars were annihilated at the Springs of Cresson in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Explore how the order turned catastrophe into a story of martyrdom and “victory in death,” on the eve of Hattin.
