Millions of people are descended from Genghis Khan and 10 other Asian dynastic leaders, researchers find
Geneticists from the University of Leicester have discovered that millions of modern Asian men are descended from 11 powerful dynastic leaders who lived up to 4,000 years ago – including Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan.
Salisbury Cathedral opens Magna Carta exhibit
Salisbury Cathedral – home to one of the four original copies of Magna Carta – has opened a new exhibition to highlight the 800th anniversary of the charter.
Crowdfunding project to restore medieval prayer book closes in on goal
In less than two weeks a crowdfunding campaign to restore a 600 year old manuscript has already raised three-quarters of €25,000 it is asking for.
Marking the spot of an old Viking ‘parliament’
The site of one of the earliest known Assemblies or ‘parliaments’ in the UK has been officially put on the map after years of work by a scientist from The University of Nottingham.
Up to 5 million archaeological sites in North Africa and the Middle East in danger of being destroyed
The archaeological heritage of the Middle East and North Africa, which is of international significance for all periods, is under increasing threat from massive and sustained population explosion, agricultural development, urban expansion, warfare, and looting.
Knight buried at Hereford Cathedral may have had jousting injuries, archaeologists find
The remains of over 700 individuals were discovered at the graveyard of England’s Hereford Cathedral between 2009 and 2011. Archaeologists are now revealing more details about some of the people that were buried here during the Middle Ages.
Lady in the Lead Coffin revealed
A mysterious lead coffin found close to the site of Richard III’s hastily dug grave at the Grey Friars friary has been opened and studied by experts from the University of Leicester.
Medieval Mass Grave discovered in Paris
Archaeologists in the French capital have discovered more than 200 skeletons on what was once the site of a medieval hospital. It is believed that the remains date between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Capital and Corporal Punishment may have been rare in Anglo-Saxon England, researcher suggests
A long standing belief about early medieval justice was that many offenders would be executed for serious crimes, or face punishments such as amputations for lesser offences. However, an examination of archaeological data suggests that these kinds of punishments were rare in Anglo-Saxon England.
14th century English church awarded funds for conservation project
St Mary’s Church in the English village of Cowbit has received £8,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a project to conserve and communicate the heritage of the 14th-century building and its clock.
Rowallan Castle in Scotland to be turned into a hotel
Historic Scotland is transferring control of Rowallan Castle, which dates back to the Middle Ages, back to its owner, who who will be converting it into a hotel as part of a golf course development.
How Climate Change in Asia brought the Black Death to Europe
A group of Norwegian and Swiss researchers have uncovered links between climatic changes in central Asia and repeated outbreaks of the Bubonic plague in Europe, starting with the Black Death in the 14th century.
An Italian cemetery may provide clues on cholera’s evolution
Burial grounds ‘a thousand-year history’ into human health
$300 million library donated to Princeton University includes thousands of medieval manuscripts and early printed books
William Scheide has left his collection of rare books and manuscripts to Princeton University. It is believed to be worth about $300 million, making it the largest gift in the university’s history.
Tropical fire ants traveled the world on 16th century ships
Thanks to a bit of genetic sleuthing, researchers now know the invasion history of the tropical fire ant, the first ant species known to travel the globe by sea.
Cannonball from Wars of the Roses battle discovered
A lead ball, believed to be the oldest cannonball ever found in England, has been discovered on the site of the Battle of Northampton.
Gold coin hoard discovered off Mediterranean coast
Nearly 2,000 coins, the largest treasure hoard ever discovered in Israel, was found a few weeks ago in the waters off the medieval port of Caesarea.
1500-year-old Byzantine grape seeds discovered in Israel
The charred grape seeds, over 1,500 years old, found in southern Israel excavation were used to produce the ‘Wine of the Negev’ – one of the finest and most renowned wines in the whole of the Byzantine Empire.
Immigrants made up 1% of the population in Medieval England, researchers find
About one out of every hundred people in late medieval England was an immigrant, according to researchers at the universities of York and Sheffield. They have also launched a new database that offers details about 65,000 immigrants who lived in England between 1330 and 1550.
Bejewelled backdrop to coronations did not cost a king’s ransom
Research into England’s oldest medieval altarpiece – which for centuries provided the backdrop to Westminster Abbey coronations – has revealed that it cost no more than the rather unprincely equivalent of eight cows.
Discovering the ‘killer blow’ to King Richard III
New film footage revealing for the first time details of the potential killer blow that claimed the life of King Richard III has been released by the University of Leicester.
Huge Anglo-Saxon Coin Hoard goes on display at British Museum
The Lenborough Hoard, which consists of over 5200 coins from Anglo-Saxon times, is now on display at the British Museum. This discovery highlights the ongoing importance of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which just released its 2012 Treasure Report.
Picts offer historians a picture of non-Roman Briton culture
History has never been too kind to a group of early British Isle inhabitants referred to as the Picts, but the often mischaracterized, always mysterious people may serve as a historical laboratory to explore how the island’s culture might have developed without Roman intervention, according to a Penn State historian.
Mons Meg removed from Edinburgh Castle for conservation work
Mons Meg, one of the most famous weapons of the Middle Ages, was removed from Edinburgh Castle last month for specialist restoration and conservation work.