Medieval Treasures from the Digital.Bodleian
Last month, the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford officially launched their Digital.Bodleian online resource, which allows users to view, download and share over 100,000 images going back to the Middle Ages.
Mosaics discovered at Byzantine-era Synagogue in Israel
Excavations of a medieval synagogue in Israel dating to the Byzantine period (4th—7th c. CE) have uncovered a partially-preserved colorful mosaic floor.
Final Month to See British Library’s Magna Carta Exhibit
It’s August, and summer has begun its inevitable wind down. Unfortunately, this means the British Library’s spectacular exhibit, Magna Carta: Law, Liberty and Legacy is winding down as well. This is the final month to catch a glimpse of the famous 800 year old document before the exhibit comes to a close on September 1st.
Explore the Medieval Jewish Trail in Winchester
Visitors to Winchester have a new way to explore the English city’s medieval Jewish past. Winchester City Council and the University of Winchester have launched a new city trail telling the story of this community.
Festival of Archaeology at Dunluce Castle today
Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland will host a family friendly archaeological event on Saturday 25 July from 10.30am – 4.30pm.
Magna Carta exhibition shows off newly found copy of charter
Earlier this year a copy of Magna Carta dated to the year 1300 was discovered in Kent. This rare copy now goes on public display as part of an exhibition starting today at the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone.
Parker Library on the Web turns 10-years-old, announces improvements to medieval manuscripts database
Parker Library on the Web has become one of the leading digital medieval manuscript sites since 2005, when an early prototype was first demonstrated. Now, ten years after the prototype, and six years after the release of the first production version, work has begun on Parker on the Web 2.0.
Qur’an manuscript discovered in England could be over 1400 years old
Experts at the University of Birmingham believe they have discovered a manuscript of the Qur’an that is at least 1370 years old, making it the oldest known copy of the Islamic Holy Book.
Prostitution in the Medieval City
Prostitution was a vice that was was considered a necessary evil because of “men’s lust”. Ecclesiastics felt that if brothels weren’t available to men in cities, they would find other inappropriate outlets for their entertainment. In an effort to curb potential problems, civic officials permitted prostitution to function within the city walls so long as it was regulated and turned a profit.
Buried, Forgotten, Disinterred?: The 1944 National Socialist St. Olav Monument at Stiklestad
In ‘Buried, Forgotten, Disinterred?: The 1944 National Socialist St. Olav Monument at Stiklestad’, Øystein Ekroll gave the audience a glimpse into a struggle going on in Norway as it deals with its Nazi past.
When Reality Becomes Fantasy: How Video Games are Hijacking the Middle Ages
“The Middle Ages is a space where White Supremecy is legitimised. The maintenance of white privilege. The gamer community use ‘historical facts’ to legitimise this kind of literacy.’
New online database allows users to explore the families of Medieval England
Mapping the Medieval Countryside has announced that the beta version of their searchable English translations of inquisitions post mortem (IPMs) – a major source into the lives and legacies of thousands of families from the Later Middle Ages.
The Last Viking and his Magical Sword?
An amazing discovery of a late Viking Age sword – embellished with gold, inscriptions and other ornamentation – has now been revealed in Norway.
Making the Castle a Home: Creating an Immersive Medieval World Using Live Costumed Interpreters
How does the use of unscripted, adaptive, historical interpretation boost the tourist experience? Right on the heels of our look at the Tower of London’s visitor engagement, we heard a paper from Lauren Johnson, Research Manager for Past Pleasures, the oldest historical interpretation company in the UK who educate and entertain the public at historical sites, museums, on stage and and on TV.
‘But Where are the Dungeons?’: How to Engage the Public at the Tower of London
A talk about how historical sites, like the Tower of London engage the public. How to handle visitor expectations, what do people come t see and how to tell history in a captivating but accurate manner.
The Experience of Growing Up in Medieval Society
This session (#508) was one of several at Leeds devoted to exploring childhood in the Middle Ages. Our presenters talked about the stereotypes of adolescence, and what the coroner’s rolls revealed about the deaths (and lives) of medieval children.
Medievalist helps scientists rewrite climate records
In a paper published in the world-leading scientific journal, Nature, Dr Conor Kostick’s research into medieval evidence for climate events has allowed scientists to pinpoint the exact relationship between historical volcanic activity and severe winters.
New App: Prosperity – Italy 1434
Looking for a new game to get you back to the Middle Ages? Prosperity – Italy 1434, based on factual characters and events, and which allows you to get involved in alliances, assassins, corruption and battles, is now available for Android as well as IOS users.
2015 International Medieval Congress – Day 4
It’s the final day at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds – here is what people are tweeting about…
Explaining Extreme Weather in the Middle Ages
What was causing extreme weather in the Middle Ages? A medieval historian is starting to examine how chroniclers and writers from this period were turning to the night sky to better understand and perhaps prevent natural disasters.
The Medieval #Twitterati at #IMC2015
The International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds hosted the session The Twitterati: Using Twitter in Medieval Scholarship and Pedagogy – A…
2015 International Medieval Congress – Day 3
It is Wednesday at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds – here is what people are tweeting about!
The Afterlife of the Dead: Reform in Attitude Towards Medieval Burials, Corpses and Bones
The International Medieval Congress is taking place at the University of Leeds, I’m on hand this week to report on the conference. This blog post reports on my first session.
Laser scanning and 3D Printing used to recreate Michelangelo’s bronzes
A team of researchers have been working together to try to understand how the two mysterious Renaissance bronzes were made and why they look the way they do by making accurate replicas of the originals.
